I recently subscribed to become a member of Crohn's and Colitis UK and I received a membership pack which arrived in the post. Since being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, I have found the Crohn's and Colitis UK website to be extremely helpful. I have been able to learn so much and also gain further knowledge about Crohn's Disease. Although I had got some knowledge of Crohn's, I have family members who have it, I didn't really know that much about it. There is so much helpful information and updates available on the website, which has helped me to find out as much as I can. I really wanted to write and share about the membership pack, as I feel that it is so helpful and I am so happy that this is available. It's great to be able to have something you can read and learn lots more from.

Within the pack you receive different booklets on Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Firstly within my pack, I got a My Crohn's and Colitis Care, Your Guide booklet. This guide helps you to get the best out of your healthcare service by working in partnership with those supporting you. It is split in to 10 very helpful sections. I found the diagram of the IBD team to be very helpful. It shows you your core IBD team and also supporting team.

Next in the pack I received a booklet on Food and IBD. As diet is very important to me and is something that I am still working on, I was very interested in reading this booklet. The booklet looks at some of the most frequently asked questions and provides lots of information and on healthy eating and digestion. It also tells you a lot about the low fibre diet, which is what I am currently on.

As I have got Crohn's Disease, I received the Crohn's Disease, Your Guide in my member pack. I am so pleased that this is included, as it has been a huge help and also for my mum too, as she has read it. It tells you all about Crohn's and how it affects the gut. It also goes through the different symptoms you can get as well as the different types of Crohn's there is, for example I have Crohn's Colitis. The booklet also explains what different types of drugs and treatments there are and also tells you about surgical treatments too.

The magazine which you also get within the pack, the Connect magazine, is amazing. It's filled with news, updates and peoples own stories as well as activities and campaigns. It is well written and I can't wait for the next one. The magazine gets delivered to your door, three times a year.

You also get a Can't Wait card which you can show, say to a member of staff in a shop, to use their toilet and to help you get access to other toilets too. It is just the right size to fit in your purse/wallet and bag.I have included some photos further down on this post of the Cant Wait card.

Crohn's and Colitis UK also connect you, as a member to people in your local area. This means that you can connect with other people and meet them, along with sharing your own experiences and listen to other peoples experiences with Inflammatory Bowl Disease.

"By uniting the strength and passion of all our members we want to achieve a better quality of life for everyone affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Our 33,000 strong membership is a powerful community fighting for change by:

Raising awareness of IBD
Providing a strong voice for everyone affected by the condition
Campaigning for better health services
Supporting life-changing research

Membership is £19 per year or only £15 if paid by direct debit. You could be a patient, parent or carer, health professional or just want to support the work of the charity. Membership is open to anyone over the age of 16 years." Crohn's and Colitis UK.

There is also a special offer currently on, where when you subscribe by direct debit or credit/debit card, you can get a RADAR key. But only while stocks last. If you don't know what a RADAR key is, it gives you access to over 9000 public toilets that are locked, around the country. When you have your own key, you do not have to wait for a member of staff to come and unlock the toilet for you. You can access it on your own with your own key.