Help us build Steady Grounds — support for people living with Crohn's & Colitis
A diagnosis of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis can change life very quickly. Your donation helps us build the practical, honest support that sits between clinical appointments.
Help fund a place for someone
Donations go directly toward funding retreat places and keeping our research and resources free for anyone who needs them.
Donate via GoFundMe →Helps fund a printed resource pack for someone newly diagnosed
Contributes toward a workshop session at a retreat
Helps fund a place for someone to attend a retreat
Our application for charitable status is currently in progress. We'll update this page with our registered charity number as soon as it's confirmed. Every donation made now goes directly toward the work described above.
Questions that don't always fit neatly into a hospital appointment
For many people, the first weeks and months can be filled with uncertainty, fear, exhaustion and questions that go unanswered.
- What can I eat?
- Will I be able to work?
- Can I exercise?
- How do I explain this to my family?
- What does this test result mean?
- Is this normal?
- Will life ever feel normal again?
That is why Steady Grounds was created
Steady Grounds is a new support initiative for people affected by Crohn's and Colitis, built around practical guidance, trusted information, lived experience and reassurance.
Steady Grounds is not intended to replace doctors, IBD nurses or specialist healthcare services. Instead, we want to provide the support that often sits between clinical appointments — the everyday questions, experiences and practical challenges that can have such a huge impact on someone's life.
The project has grown from real-life experience and from conversations with people living with inflammatory bowel disease. Those experiences have highlighted just how important it is to have somewhere that speaks plainly, honestly and compassionately about what living with IBD can actually be like.
Turning donations into practical, accessible resources
Funds raised through this campaign will help us develop Steady Grounds into a practical and accessible resource for the IBD community. Our plans include creating:
A dedicated support website for people newly diagnosed with Crohn's and Colitis
A First 30 Days guide to help people navigate the period immediately after diagnosis
Downloadable symptom, medication and appointment trackers
Practical guides for work, exercise, food, travel and everyday life
Patient stories and lived-experience resources
Educational content reviewed against trusted clinical sources
Awareness campaigns designed to reduce the embarrassment and stigma surrounding bowel disease
Future community projects and support initiatives for people living with IBD
We also want to explore ways of supporting people who want to better understand and monitor their condition alongside their healthcare team.
Crohn's and Colitis are often invisible illnesses
Someone can look completely well while dealing with pain, bleeding, urgency, fatigue, medication side effects, anxiety about finding a toilet, disrupted work, interrupted sleep and the uncertainty of when symptoms may return.
That invisibility can make the experience incredibly isolating.
Sometimes people do not need another medical leaflet. They need someone to say: I understand why you are worried. Other people have experienced this too. Here are some practical things that may help you prepare for your next appointment.
Every contribution will help us build something practical
Where it goesWebsite development, research and educational resources.
What it buildsDownloadable patient tools, awareness materials and professional content review.
What it startsFuture support projects for people living with IBD.
Helping a new diagnosis feel a little less frightening
Whether you donate £5, £20 or simply share this campaign, you are helping us create a community where living with IBD feels a little less lonely. Our ambition is not to promise that Crohn's or Colitis will be easy — it is to help people find steadier ground while they learn to live with it.
Donate via GoFundMe →
Supporting Crohn's & Colitis.
Sharing experience.
Building confidence.
Finding steadier ground.