Week Ending 3rd July

Brynmor

Well, that's the first half of 2020 done and ... er ... gulp! I think it may have just got its own chapter in the history books. As ever, do check with our Coronavirus (Covid-19) information page as updates are happening on an increasingly regular basis as advice for shielding is changed.

1. Hello New Members

Readers may have noticed a sudden jump in new members joining the Online Community. We have had over 100 people sign up since 6:00pm Tuesday 30th June following the sending out of the Versus Arthritis Newsletter. As ever, we are here to help, answer questions and give support. Do join in across the community, say hi or just call in for a chat.

If you haven't done so already, you can sign up for our Newsletter here.

2. Lockdown Lavatories

Access to public lavatories has been an issue which featured in a couple of newspapers in the recent past, plus the consequences for beaches and crowded beauty spots made headlines during the recent heatwave.

Having been aware that you can find map locations for public conveniences using The Great British Public Toilet Map, it was hard to find out which were open as many of these are closed over the lockdown period. Step up... Lockdown Loos!

This is an online map which has been crowd-sourced: people find an open toilet and they tell Lockdown Loos about it. The map is a data-overlay to Google Maps and so is ideal for use on the mobile phone app. As the different parts of the United Kingdom start to open up again, its well worth knowing about this.

Sadly, there isn't any specific information regarding accessible/Radar Key toilets that are open, unless the information has been submitted by the user.

3. Telling your employer about your Arthritis

A testing subject that continues to be discussed on the Online Community. How did you go about letting your employer know about your condition? When did you tell your employer? Did you wish you had done this earlier, or even before your started the job?

Our section on the website about Living with Arthritis and Work is well worth a read but there will always be specific questions and issues that you may have and want to ask about.

Do come and join in with the discussion, or just read how one employer seems to be doing things right!

4. Shielding and looking to the future

During the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of people living with arthritis have been shielding and with the easing of lockdown, we’ve heard from many people who are feeling anxious about the rule changes.

We asked Faye and Linda who both have been shielding at home in England to talk about their experiences and what they hope for from the future.

Faye and Linda talk about their experiences and what they hope for from the future.

As always, stay safe and stay well.

Brynmor