1. PCOS Awareness Week
PCOS Awareness Week
– how did it go?
20–27 November 2010 marked the very first PCOS Awareness Week
There was lots going on throughout the week all over the UK. Here are the highlights:
SPEAKERS’ CORNER NEW MEMBERSHIP PACKS CALENDARS CUPCAKES
Verity Trustees Alison, Caroline and We had been working on putting The very talented Laura at Broken To support Verity and PCOS Awareness
Rachel braved the freezing cold and together new membership packs for Logic Photography wanted to use Week, Chloe from The Sugar Sanctuary
an anti-war protest to kick-off the quite some time, which involved her skills to help support Verity and launched Verity cupcakes. They are
very first PCOS Awareness Week having all of the booklets updated women with PCOS, and thus the delicious vanilla and lemon cupcakes
by going along to the infamous and re-designed. As part of the new idea of a PCOS Calendar was born! with a purple buttercream icing and,
Speakers Corner in Hyde Park, packs, we have also launched Thank Laura recruited a bunch of women although clearly not PCOS-friendly,
London. They put up a big banner, You gifts for renewing your from the discussion board and they make a decadent treat or even
waved posters and handed out membership for three and five years. arranged a photoshoot in Nottingham a way of raising money for Verity at
leaflets whilst chatting to passers All our members were sent a new where everyone got together, had a coffee morning. The cupcakes
by. When the Police vans turned up membership pack at the start of their hair and make-up done, and come in a set of six and a percentage
en-force, they had to make an early PCOS Awareness Week and we hope said ‘cheese’! Laura did an amazing of the sale is donated to Verity. You
exit to avoid getting caught up in the you enjoyed receiving them as much job and captured the beauty and can have a look at the pictures at
growing protest! as we enjoyed sending them to you. bravery of all the lovely Verity models. www.verity-pcos.org.uk/cupcakes,
You can look at the pictures at www. where there’s also a link to The Sugar
verity-pcos.org.uk/calendar. Use the Sanctuary website where you can buy
link there to buy a Calendar, with 25% them.
of the proceeds donated to Verity.
Above:
Rachel and Alison at Speakers Corner
Top right:
The growing stack of new membership packs
Right:
Left to right: Alison, Nic, Premila and Jackie
busy putting together the packs ready to
post out to you
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
PCOS Awareness Week 2011: 05 – 12 November 2011
We are putting together a schedule of activities that will take place
during the second PCOS Awareness Week in November. We’d love
to hear your ideas on everything from raising money, to raising
awareness, so email them to media@verity-pcos.org.uk with
‘PCOS Awareness week’ in the subject line.
10 In Touch Spring/Summer 2011
2. PCOS Awareness Week
There was a real buzz at the
conferenceas members and
exhibitors all chatted to one
another
PCOS RESOURCE PACK IPHONE SOCKS PCOS AWARENESS TWIBBON PCOS UK CONFERENCE
Verity launched a PCOS Resource Nic, Verity’s book-keeper We launched a Twibbon, which is a PCOS UK is Verity’s medical education
Pack where you, our members, can extraordinaire put her crafty skills little display of support that lives on arm, where we run conferences and
order a pack which contains posters to use during Awareness Week and your profile picture on either Facebook workshops around the country to
and leaflets to take to your local GP, knitted up a storm. Nic’s Verity-inspired or Twitter. The purple Twibbon, which educate GPs, specialists and other
hospital or other clinic to help raise hand-knitted iPhone socks, went featured the classic PCOS ‘string of healthcare professionals on PCOS.
awareness of PCOS. During the first down a treat at the Verity Conference pearls’ and PCOS Awareness was added We held a PCOS UK conference to
few days of the Resource Packs being in London and sold out during the to more than 372 profiles on Facebook coincide with Awareness Week, and
launched, 75 were ordered! We are lunch break. You can check out the and Twitter, which reached thousands had a great turn out of over 60 GPs
making a note of the postcodes of iPhone Socks at www.verity-pcos. of people! Our Twibbon also became from around London attending.
the addresses where the packs are org.uk/iphone_socks the most successful Twibbon for PCOS
being delivered, so you can see Causes.
exactly the difference you’re making Pssst Nic, if you’re reading this,
Left:
by marking each one on a map with maybe you can get an early start A snapshot of all the
a pin. You can order a Resource for this year? wonderful people who
put a PCOS Awareness
Pack and even see just how far we’ve Twibbon on their profile
reached so far at www.verity-pcos.
org.uk/resource_pack
1 in 10 women in the
UK live with PCOS
VERITY CONFERENCE
PCOS Awareness Week was wrapped up by the Verity conference, our largest
ever! 200 of you came along to hear from some amazing speakers at the
Supporting women with PCOS
Verity publishes…
• In Touch, our PCOS newsletter
Verity runs…
• conferences with expert speakers
Verity also…
• educates the medical profession
Connaught Rooms in London on Saturday 27th November.
• a range of information booklets • an active discussion board • recruits research participants
Alison Wilcox, Verity Trustee, kicked the morning off with an overview of PCOS
• an informative website • locally run support groups • raises public awarenesss
www.verity-pcos.org.uk
Do you have any of the following?
blog.verity-pcos.org.uk twitter.com/veritypcos facebook.com/veritypcos youtube.com/veritypcos verity-pcos.org.uk/forum
infrequent periods | weight problems | excess hair and why it’s so important not to feel isolated, but to get the help you need. Colette
PCOS UK is the medical education arm of Verity: www.pcos-uk.org.uk
Verity is the UK’s charity (No.1097599) for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and is a company limited by guarantee (No. 04404798)
acne and oily skin | hair loss | mood swings Harris, the author of several books about PCOS, and Verity patron, gave a truly
If you do, then you could have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). inspirational talk about PCOS and your emotions, exploring how the hormonal
If you, or someone you know, think you might have PCOS, make
an appointment to talk to your GP.
fluctuations and having to cope with them can affect how you feel.
Verity is the UK charity for women with PCOS, for more information and support
After the AGM we had Dr Lisa Webber giving a really clear insight into
www.verity-pcos.org.uk
periods, ovulation and how PCOS affects cycles; and Charlotte Footman
talking about hair removal.
blog.verity-pcos.org.uk twitter.com/veritypcos facebook.com/veritypcos youtube.com/veritypcos verity-pcos.org.uk/forum
www.verity-pcos.org.uk Veirty: The PCOS Self Help Group www.verity-pcos.org.uk Then after lunch came Professor Stephen Franks speaking on how lean
200
women with PCOS can boost their health; and Dr David Haslam giving the
PCOS UK is the medical education arm of Verity: www.pcos-uk.org.uk
Verity is the UK’s charity (No.1097599) for women with polycystic ovary
syndrome (PCOS) and is a company limited by guarantee (No. 04404798)
c Ovary Who is Verity? 1 in 10 women in the UK
? live with PCOS latest advice on losing weight, and how it can help control your PCOS
symptoms and boost fertility. The day ended with an extended session
THIS YEAR’S VERITY
n called the ‘thief of Veirty: The PCOS Self Help Group
on Fertility with Professor Stephen Franks. We are eternally grateful for
ffect the symptoms can Verity is the UK’s only charity for women with polycystic ovary syndrome
teem. PCOS is one of the (PCOS), and provides information and support for women with PCOS
CONFERENCE WAS OUR
men. and their loved ones. It was founded in 1997 and is run entirely by a team
of volunteers.
the support of the inspirational experts who share their time and
ies that contain many small
varies) and are usually no Iin addition to publishing a range of information booklets covering all
LARGEST EVER WITH 200
ontaining follicles that have aspects of the condition Verity runs twice yearly conferences where
s as you may im agine them delegates get the chance to hear from some of the UK’s foremost PCOS
mful to you (so no surgical
ovarian cancer.
experts. Verity publishes In Touch, a bi-annual member newsletter full
of the latest information and research on PCOS.
Verity also provides advocacy, awareness and education to the healthcare DELEGATES ATTENDING knowledge with us.
d worldwide profession through PCOS UK, Verity’s medical education arm that was
established in January 2005.
roblems Further information about Verity and PCOS can be found on our website
www.verity-pcos.org.uk or through our blogs and forums, listed below. Over lunch, and during breaks, there was a real buzz as members
blog.verity-pcos. twitter.com/ facebook.com/ youtube.com/ verity-pcos.org.
Do you have any of the following?
infrequent periods | weight problems
chatted to each other, and to the exhibitors – including SK!N, Renew
Medica and CTC/Duofertility.
org.uk veritypcos veritypcos veritypcos uk/forum
excess hair | acne and oily skin
Verity
The PCOS Self Help Group
hair loss | mood swings
New Bond House
If you do, then you could have
124 New Bond Street
London W1S 1DX
www.verity-pcos.org.uk
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) The conference ran very smoothly and all the trustees of Verity truly
enjoyed the day, even though it was hard work! We look forward to seeing
Verity is a Registered Charity No. 1097599 and
even more of you at the next event at the Cardiff Hilton on 12th November
2011 – find out more on page 7.
a company limited by guarantee No. 4404798
In Touch Spring/Summer 2011 11