The Pituitary Foundation has been supporting those with medical conditions caused by the pituitary gland for 30 years and they have plenty to celebrate and look forward to this year!
Plans for the celebration include three main goals:
The ’30 Heroes’ campaign - a celebration of those in the pituitary field who have made a significant impact on those with pituitary conditions.
Ensuring the future of the foundation - with 60% of funding coming from individuals this is a crucial focus. Showcasing ways to get involved including raising vital funds but also giving time to support the work carried out in the community to ensure everyone with a pituitary condition is supported.
Looking forward to the next 30 years! Recognising that healthcare is changing including technological changes - the heart of great care is quality information and careful empathetic thinking. Highlighting opportunities for pituitary care so that future generations have access to the best care possible.
Their journey began back in 1994 with a clear compelling role to improve care and reduce diagnosis times for patients with pituitary conditions. Charitable status was gained in 1996 — with the first newsletter and local support groups also being formed. The first resource hit the shelf in 1997 — a toilet card for those with diabetes insipidous — The Bristol office and first conference followed in 1998 — while the first website was established in 2000. Pituitary Life magazine started in 2004 with a new logo added in 2007. 2013 saw the 3rd logo and the first awareness month — the first campaign focused on Opticians and their role in diagnosing pituitary conditions - an area that will be revisited this October. New offices were moved into during 2022 with a new website launched in 2023.
There are many ways to get involved with the celebrations including:
Membership
Priced at just £25 this includes benefits such as receiving the Pituitary Life Magazine, bookable slots with an endocrine nurse, early access to events and member-only events. A helpful option for family and friends of those with pituitary conditions is to start what can be difficult conversations about what you may be going through as a patient. An increased membership also gives more weight to the foundation in conversations with organisations such as the NHS.
Volunteering
This is at the heart of the charity. Volunteers are involved in decision-making and changes within the organisation. It’s an opportunity to give back support you have received in the past or to offer something you wish you had access to. You can become part of a close-knit community and there are flexible options that allow you to commit however much time feels right for you.
Roles include supporting people over the phone, hosting local support groups, speaking at events, spreading the word at the foundation over social media and organising fundraising events. These opportunities can change and evolve to suit your health and lifestyle.
Fundraising
Ideas for this are wide and varied. From taking on a skydive or abseil to organising a games night or cake sale. Using your talents at crafting to create items that can be sold to raise money is a great option for those unable to take on physical challenges. Even hosting a party to mark the date of diagnosis or surgery for a pituitary condition can raise some vital funds, start conversations and spread the word about the work the foundation does.
There’s support to help you raise as much as possible. Just Giving pages work well and you can print QR codes that lead directly to your page to give to others or put on posters. Facebook fundraisers are also easy to set up and reach a big audience.
30 Acts of Kindness
Something that anyone can do to be a part of the celebrations whether or not you are raising money this challenge can help you by helping others. It’s a great way for a group of people to come up with 30 things you can do to support the needs of other people. Some ideas include:
Tell someone you appreciate them
Ask a neighbour if they need anything
Help someone struggling to cross the road
Give back to someone who helped you
Help someone carry their shopping
Call someone for a chat
Tell an inspirational quote to someone
Make someone laugh
Buy a coffee for someone
The options are endless and a great way for families and friends to come together and spread some joy and happiness in a world that can be lonely and stressful.
Raise Awareness
Pituitary conditions are uncommon and many people including medical professionals do not understand the conditions or the impact that they have on people. Telling your story can be powerful and support others. Encouraging as many people to be members helps too and even just sharing The Pituitary Foundation posts on the different social media channels will make a difference.
The end goal is to look to the future together as a collective group. The charity has changed and evolved significantly in its 30 years and looks to continue this journey into the next 30 years. But to achieve all the aims and goals the pituitary community needs to pull together.
So whether you are a patient who can offer an hour a week, share your story or a thrill seeker prepared to jump off the side of a building your contribution will be crucial and much appreciated.
For further details, you can visit The Pituitary Foundation Website: https://www.pituitary.org.uk/
For Volunteering support visit: https://www.pituitary.org.uk/information/volunteer-with-us/
For Fundraising support visit: https://www.pituitary.org.uk/fundraise-and-donate/
To become a member visit: https://www.pituitary.org.uk/join-our-community/become-a-member/
To join a group or event visit: https://www.pituitary.org.uk/join-our-community/join-an-event/?current_page=1
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