We believe it is time the UK got to grips with guts.
Fifty years ago, our founders got together and decided they wanted to do something to end the pain and suffering that you and I know too well. Our guts have been underfunded, understaffed and undervalued for decades and Guts UK exists to change that.
Our vision
Imagine a world where digestive disorders and ostomy care are better understood and treated, and everyone who lives with one gets the support they need… that’s our vision at Guts UK.
Our values
Our values come from our amazing community:
- Bold
- Brave
- Honest.
Our values provide strength and character for our mission. They fuel us to delve further into our guts and change the tiring narrative of our guts not getting the attention they so greatly deserve.
All you need to know about...
Our mission
Provide expert information to patients and their families
Information is power! When armed with evidence-based, expert information, patients can take control of their health and make well-informed decisions.
Raise public awareness
Our research shows that 58% of people are embarrassed to talk about their digestive condition or symptoms.
51% of people delay seeking advice for their symptoms for over 6 months. We empower people to seek help. One of the wonderful ways we do this is by taking our wonderful, giant, inflatable colon, ‘Colin’, on the road!
Meet Colin, the inflatable colon
Fund life-changing and life-saving research
Guts UK is the only UK charity funding research into the digestive system from top to tail. It’s high time the UK got to grips with guts!
Over 50 years of championing our guts
You might not have heard of Guts UK Charity, and you may wonder why, especially since we have been around for over 50 years. In 1971, our charity was founded. We grew out of the British Society of Gastroenterology, so had excellent backing from our fellow ‘Guardians of the Gut’. We were known as the Digestive Disorders Foundation and in the decades that followed, began funding medical research that had a lasting impact on our understanding of digestive diseases and on improving patient care.
In 2007, we changed our name to Core, but the name still wasn’t quite right. Finally, in 2018, we re-branded to Guts UK Charity – a name that says exactly what it is on the tin! Our website visitors quickly shot up from 30 000 per year to over 100 000 per month. We were finally reaching those who needed us most.
Same but different – Our #GUTSelfie campaign
If you’ve not been part of #GUTSelfie yet, you are missing out on one amazing movement from our marching army!
#GUTSelfie is a day where everyone with a digestive condition or symptoms comes together to raise awareness and get the nation talking about their guts. With 58% of people being embarrassed about their digestive condition or symptoms, it is high time that people got the support they so rightly deserve.
Guts UK, along with our growing gutsy army, take over social media (usually Instagram) for the last Sunday in June and make lots of noise. We take one giant leap towards abolishing the stigma and taboo surrounding our digestive health. Together, we reach hundreds of thousands of people in one day. Our voices unite with one key message; it is time the UK got to grips with guts.
Sunday 25 June 2023 saw our third, consecutive year of #GUTSelfie, with a record-breaking number of over 250 people bringing our values to life; bold, brave and honest.
#GUTSelfie 2023
Some of those who took part in #GUTSelfie
Here’s what some of our amazing #GUTSelfie participants had to say about the #GUTSelfie movement and our charity:
- ‘#GUTSelfie was such an amazing day and I’ve never felt more understood!’
- When I told [my daughter] about the #GUTSelfie campaign, she was determined to help because ‘children shouldn’t be embarrassed about talking about their poo either.’ She even wanted to create a PowerPoint presentation!’
What our supporters say about us
We dream and aim big. It has been 50 years and the UK has still not got to grips with guts. 25 feet of guts is a lot to understand, after all!
But don’t take it from us, here is a small selection of notes from those we help and support:
- ‘The information I have just read on Guts UK’s website was very useful. I now feel I have the full picture. Thank you so much.’
- ‘If it wasn’t for Guts UK Charity, I’d feel very lost and alone, they’ve helped me through my journey with support and information but that’s only the start, we now together need to raise awareness of these health conditions and ensure they get the funding for research.’
- ‘My 3-year-old nephew has chronic pancreatitis, and my 3-month-old niece has just been told she has the same genetic mutations. Any research towards a potential cure is a step in the right direction.’
- ‘Guts UK are absolutely amazing and they are all so kind and supportive. They mean so much to me.’
- ‘It feels amazing to be able to support a charity that is working so hard to remove the stigma around digestive issues and get people talking about their guts!’
Contact us To get in touch with our small, friendly team, based in London and Huddersfield:
Fill in our ‘contact us’ form on our website at https://gutscharity.org.uk/contact-us/
E-mail us: info@gutscharity.org.uk
Phone us: 020 7486 0341
We also have a wide range of evidence-based, digestive health information on conditions and symptoms on our website: https://www.gutscharity.org.uk.
You can also follow us on social media, search for ‘gutscharityuk’
If you have an Instagram account, follow us @gutscharityuk for more