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Colostomy UK

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

Organisation type Registered Charity Company size 11 - 20
Website address Linkedin link Facebook link X (Twitter) link

About us

Who we are

Founded in 1967, Colostomy UK provides practical and emotional support for people across the UK living with stomas (ostomates). Stoma surgery involves the bowel and/or bladder being diverted through the abdomen so that bodily waste can be collected in a bag, and the term stoma refers to the opening that the surgeon creates in the patient’s stomach.

We offer a wide range of information and support services in many forms, all accessible to the 200,000 people living with stomas in the UK and their support networks, and are currently directly helping approximately 40,000 people a year – ostomates, their families, carers, and health industry professionals. As demand for our services continues to grow, we need to make sure that we can provide the support people need pre-operatively, post-operatively, and then later down the line as they get their lives back on track.

Our culture and 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.

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