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About us

OUR PURPOSE – WHY WE’RE HERE

We exist to make a positive difference for anyone impacted by any kind of stoma or stoma surgery.

OUR WORK – WHAT WE DO

Founded in 1967, we became a registered charity in 2006, and we maintain our original mission to this day: to support people with stomas and those who care about them.

There are now over 200,000 people living with a stoma at any one time in the UK who benefit from the work that we do as we:

• Provide practical and emotional support and advice whenever it’s needed.
• Run projects that empower and build the confidence to take on fresh challenges.
• Are a voice on the issues that matter, campaigning and advocating for ostomates’ rights.

OUR VISION – WHERE WE’RE GOING

We want to live in a world where having a stoma presents no obstacles or barriers and carries no stigma.

A world where people can:

• Get the right information and advice, at the right time, at the right stage of their stoma journey.
• Have access to the facilities and resources they need when and where they need them.
• Live their lives to the fullest without fear of discrimination or prejudice.

We generate all of our income ourselves (we receive no statutory funding) and so are enormously grateful to every one of our donors and volunteers, without whom we simply could not achieve all we do. To find out more about our fundraising and volunteering opportunities, click here.

Our values

At Colostomy UK the way we behave matters to us deeply. In everything we do, we are guided by and strive to meet the following values:

SUPPORT AND EMPOWER

Two things matter more than anything else to us: supporting people with or about to have a stoma and empowering them to get the most out of life. For us, supporting and empowering people is also about finding new ways to do this, so we aren’t complacent. Being innovative, creative, courageous, and tenacious is in our DNA.

KNOWLEDGE

We are stoma experts. This is no empty claim, but backed by the collective knowledge we have accumulated since we were founded in 1967. And, because we prize learning, we add to this knowledge every day. We know all about the many ways in which having a stoma can impact on life. We know the challenges, we know the fears, we know the concerns and the worries. We know the ups and the downs. We also have the know-how to help, reassure, and support.

COMPASSION

We are compassionate and caring. We know what it’s like to go through stoma surgery and what a struggle it can often be to get life back on track afterwards. We understand how even the small things can have a big effect on someone’s wellbeing. We don’t judge, instead we are patient, respectful and understanding listeners.

INCLUSIVITY

The diseases, illnesses and injuries that make stoma surgery necessary don’t discriminate and nor do we. People from all walks of life, all cultural and religious backgrounds, and all ages, even babies, have stomas and we are here for every single one of them. For us, inclusivity is also about understanding things from different points of view. Doing this helps us to shape the support we offer, making sure that we can respond in positive, meaningful, and impactful ways to the many and varied needs of people with stomas.

TOGETHERNESS

Our strength comes from engaging with others. We’ve been doing this throughout our history. It’s by working collaboratively with healthcare professionals, people with stomas, local government, businesses, and other organisations, that we fulfil our purpose. We believe that the way to achieve our vision is by sharing problems and solving them together.

Read more about how we support people living with a stoma and our history in our This is Colostomy UK booklet.