Colostomy UK Bi-Annual News Round-Up

13 August, 2026

It may seem baffling that we are already over half-way through the year – blink and you’ll miss it, it seems! Nonetheless, Colostomy UK has been incredibly busy over the past several months. Here’s a round-up of activities throughout 2026 so far.

Support and Empower

It has been a very productive few months for our support and education work.

Our Stoma Care Workshop reached a significant milestone in January when it received CPD accreditation – an independent mark of quality recognising the high standard of our training content. Since then, we have delivered workshops to unpaid and paid carers, and in April alone ran three workshops reaching 53 professionals, strengthening our community engagement along with it.

Our Community Engagement Lead, Shauna, has been at the forefront of this work, delivering stoma awareness training to airport security staff at Leeds Bradford Airport and attending open days alongside volunteers across the country. As well as Shauna, a number of our volunteers have also supported and spoken at numerous stoma support groups throughout the past six months. I also attended Birmingham Airport’s Accessibility Forum to continue guiding management on stoma-friendly procedures.

Volunteer growth has been one of the real success stories of the last six months. At the start of the year, we had 41 potential volunteers moving through our onboarding process; that number has now risen to 46, and interviews have continued steadily each month since thanks to the tireless work of our Volunteers Manager, Max. In March alone we welcomed seven new volunteers, supported by existing members of the team who generously shared their personal experiences. As one new inductee commented:

“It’s really nice to see people who are clearly committed to the goals of the charity.”

To mark National Volunteers Week (1st–7th June) I shared a public message with our amazing cohort of volunteers in appreciation of their incredible work with us. Our staff team also called each of our volunteers to thank them individually for their commitment to the charity. Throughout the week, volunteers also shared videos about why they support Colostomy UK which were shared across our social media channels.

In March, sex therapist Sue Lennon delivered two Sex & Relationships training sessions attended by 16 volunteers – part of a wider project to better equip our community to have sensitive but important conversations relating to these topics. The sessions were very well received, as one attendee noted:

“This was an excellent and thoughtfully delivered session on a topic that deserves far greater visibility.”

We continued to distribute our stoma literature titles across the country too, with thousands of booklets sent to nurses and clinicians each month. In total, 10,482 leaflets were posted out. Rectal Discharge, Parastomal Hernias, Travel Advice, Healthy Eating, and Stoma Reversal were among the most popular titles requested.

Knowledge

Our external communications have had an outstanding few months. Thanks largely to the amazing work of our Marketing and Digital Executive, Lauren, we have consistently reached large audiences with trusted information focused on life with a stoma.

Social media has been a particular strength. In January, our channels received over 527,000 views, with Facebook alone reaching nearly 390,000 people. March brought a record-breaking moment for national media reach (excluding television): the supermarket, Morrisons, signed up to our Stoma Friendly Toilets campaign, and the announcement featured in over 220 national and local newspapers, reaching an estimated six million people. By April, our Facebook reach over the previous 28 days stood at over 350,000 views, with Instagram contributing a further 83,000+.

Our website has also maintained high traffic throughout the first half of 2026, typically recording around 30,000 views per month. Web pages on stoma blockages, rectal discharge and the Stoma Friendly Toilets Finder were among the most visited.

Spearheaded by our Marketing and Campaigns Manager, Giovanni, our campaigning and policy-influencing activities have seen a particularly productive period.

In February, our team met with Andrew Snowden MP at Westminster to discuss standardised stoma care pathways. He has since asked formal written questions to the Department of Health and Social Care on our behalf, in support of our call for a mandated care pathway and mandated annual reviews for people living with a stoma.

We also attended the inaugural meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Access to Medicines and Medical Devices. Membership of the group could be a really important additional tool in helping us campaign for more equitable access to stoma care products. Giovanni followed this up with a meeting with Danny Beales MP, who chairs the group. He raised the prospect of Danny also potentially supporting our campaign to improve stoma care pathways for patients.

In Scotland, MSP Ed Mountain used his final speech in Holyrood to highlight our Stoma Friendly Toilets campaign and call for further action. Ahead of Parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales in May, we released a statement urging political parties to commit to improving stoma care in both nations.

We have also been proud to support the National Institute of Excellence (NICE) in developing HealthTech guidance, ensuring the lived experience of people with a stoma is reflected in decision-making. Our volunteer, Caroline Knight, was the focus of this new NICE campaign, highlighting how she and her NHS team were able to review the evidence and identify a one-piece bag she could trust.

Compassion

Our Helpline has seen a sustained increase in demand over the past few months. Having averaged 375 calls per month in 2025, January 2026 recorded 424 calls – our busiest month since June 2023 – and March went even further, with approximately 500 calls, making it our busiest month since records began.

Our Helpline survey, launched late last year, is already providing encouraging insights. Results so far show that over 70% of callers felt unclear or unsure before calling, while nearly 90% reported feeling mostly or very confident in how they manage their concern afterwards. Around 90% were satisfied with the help they received, and 96% would recommend the service. As one caller put it:

“The way your colleague spoke to me was very helpful. She spoke to me very clearly and this made a big difference.”

Our Live Chat service (available via our website) has also grown, from five chats in January to 22 in April, offering beneficiaries a flexible alternative to the phone line.

Inclusivity

Our Stoma Friendly Toilets campaign has gone from strength to strength. The year began with the launch of the Stoma Friendly Toilets Finder on our website, and the announcement that B&Q’s 300+ branches would all be upgraded to be stoma friendly.

Next up was actress Jenna Robinson’s story about the challenges of accessing suitable stoma friendly facilities, which was featured by ITV in February, generating wide coverage across the country.

As mentioned above, in March Morrisons became the next major retailer to join the campaign, with nearly 500 of their branches added to our listings. We also visited Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium along with ostomate and Gunners’ fan, Alan Schneider. Alan featured with the club’s Disability Access Manager, Aaron Heskins, to announce that all 100 of the stadium’s accessible toilets had been upgraded to be stoma friendly.

On 18th June, Jim Shannon MP led a backbench debate in Parliament on public toilet provision for people with stomas, supported by Colostomy UK. The debate called on the government to look seriously at how public toilet provision can be better supported. For example, whether Stoma Friendly features should be incorporated into future accessibility standards, including building regulations.

Togetherness

February saw the launch of Step Up for Stomas: Active April, our annual fundraising challenge. Led by our Fundraising Executive, Megan, this year’s event was inspired by the 55 stoma surgeries carried out every day in the UK.

We were thrilled with the results: 117 supporters signed up and collectively raised an incredible £21,086.70. From walking and running to creative activities, participants embraced a wide range of challenges, and the energy generated across the community was wonderful to see.

Team Colostomy UK has also had an exciting few months on the rugby field. After positive pre-season meetings with the Rugby Football League and Wakefield Trinity, the team kicked off their 2026 season in March with our Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL) team taking part in a triple header with Great Britain Police and Stanley Rangers.

April brought an even bigger milestone when our wheelchair team competed in their first ever tournament, the Wheelchair Challenge Trophy in Nottingham, facing Salford, Hull KR and Anglian Vipers and coming away with a victory – a powerful statement of what is possible for anyone living with a stoma.

Support groups have continued to grow across the country too, with new groups set up in Manchester and Welwyn Garden City.

Our Active Ostomates project, which helps get people active after stoma surgery, kicked off the year in February, with 122 people attending the first week. This is an impressive increase compared to previous batches that usually begin with up to 100 people on average.

Our regular classes such as yoga and Pilates were joined by our new Creative Minds programme which delivers art sessions to support groups across the country.

Support From Colostomy UK

We offer a wide range of support for people living with a colostomy, including our free Stoma Helpline, live chat support, and opportunities to connect with others through local and online groups. We also provide trusted information and resources to offer practical advice, reassurance, and the confidence to live well with a stoma: colostomyuk.org/support