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Allergy Awareness Week is on its way and we’ve got a very special ‘ask’ this year.
Do you know any headteachers or senior teachers who would welcome us into their school to deliver a session on awareness around allergies?
If so we’d love to hear from you.
This awareness week was created by Allergy UK and they launched their first Allergy Awareness Weeks in the Spring and Autumn of 2019.
The week does what it says on the tin, it is a week to focus on raising awareness about allergies, and offering support and help to those living with this condition which can take many forms.
As many of you know, our CEO Julianne Ponan MBE has many serious allergies from the age of 2, including all nuts and if exposed to one of them, she can go into anaphylactic shock, something which happened to her only last month.
Did you know that the term ‘allergy’ started appearing in the 1900s. Since that time, there are several classifications and diagnostic methods to help distinguish various allergies.
Allergies are now common, and its thought around 50% of the world’s population live with an allergy of some kind.
How can you help in Allergy Awareness Week?
- You could make a donation to the charity – Allergy UK, because they always need money to continue research.
- You could create a fundraising event, or join an event already organised by Allergy UK during the week.
- You could become a volunteer for the organisation.
- You could help us by speaking to your child’s school to see if we can come in and deliver a presentation free of charge – and if it’s not in the Surrey area we can probably find a family affected by allergies who would be willing to help.
Part of the campaigning work which our CEO, Julianne does to educate others about allergies and anaphylaxis, was why she was awarded the MBE at the beginning of this year.
To continue to work and support those with allergies, and as part of Creative Nature’s ongoing work, we are reaching out to schools, initially in Surrey, where we are based, to go into the schools to present ‘allergy workshops’.
These workshops are all about educating people and supporting those living with allergies in school.
When Julianne was at primary school, she often felt left out, and was made to feel different because of her allergies. She was made to sit apart from everyone else when she ate her lunch. In the world of allergies this is often referred to has ‘having to sit at the allergy table.’
She was often made fun of, or dismissed as being awkward because the other children were not mature enough to understand the problems her food allergies caused. Her life literally depends on her being fussy about what she eats and drinks.
Julianne wants to help children like her to have a better experience in school, and for them to feel fully included.
- Our allergy workshops will educate children about allergies.
- Pupils will be shown how they can help their classmates to keep safe.
- We’ll talk about how to help their friends keep safe by learning to eat safely.
- They’ll learn how to use an EpiPen, and understand how it helps someone reacting to an allergen.
- We’ll encourage them to have more empathy for their classmates who suffer from allergies, and show them how ‘throwaway’ comments can be very hurtful.
Hopefully after our workshops, children will have more understanding about allergies and with this new education will be able to support their classmates who have allergies.
Many of the ‘Allergy Parents’ who are connected to Creative Nature on our social media, are also showing an interest in running workshops in their own communities, so this could be the start of a great new campaign which could grow and grow.
If you know a school who would be interested in one of our workshops, or you are an ‘Allergy Parent’ who is interested in running a workshop in your own area, please get in touch with us by emailing ellen@creative-nature.uk.com
