The Bladder & Bowel Community remains a long-serving information source for people living in the UK and abroad, from its foundation in a London hospital in 1989 to a fresh new look in 2024. Read our potted history below.
1989 – NAIO Formed
On January 11th, 1989, a small gathering of like-minded individuals met at St Pancras Hospital, London. This group comprised eight healthcare professionals, six people with continence problems, two informal carers and one representative of the continence care industry.
They suggested three aims for this new team to work toward:
- Provide practical advice and support for patients.
- Create a public awareness of the problems.
- Campaign for more recognition and adequate services.
And so, National Action on Incontinence (NAOI) was born.
2008 – Bladder & Bowel Foundation Founded
The Bladder & Bowel Foundation was officially formed as a charity in June 2008 and launched on 15th September 2008. It incorporated the objectives and missions of two charities, Incontact and the Continence Foundation, which closed in May 2008.
The Bladder and Bowel Foundation has been the UK’s largest, non-profit making, advocacy charity providing help, information and support for people with bladder and bowel problems. Unfortunately, the charity was forced to close its doors on 22nd July 2016.
2016 – Bladder and Bowel Community Formed
When the Bladder & Bowel Foundation officially closed, it seemed likely that this vital, community-driven support network would disappear forever. Determined not to let this happen, the funds were secured to form the Bladder & Bowel Community, and officially registered as Bladder & Bowel Support Company Ltd. This enabled a continuation of the support offered to the community website that supports millions of visitors each year.
Today, bladder and bowel conditions are becoming more prevalent, not only in adults but also children. There are 6.5 million people affected by some form of bowel condition in the UK and an estimated 14 million living with a bladder condition. Such topics continue to be considered taboo, which restricts some people from getting the help they need.
The ultimate aim of this Community is to create a space in which the concerns and experiences of our community members can be heard and for us to translate this into public awareness and eliminate the stigma.
The Bladder & Bowel Community is impartial and independent, with one focus – you.
Present Day
Now operating as a small company, our team is completely dedicated to working towards the needs of our community. We aim to be the number one place for support, whilst also raising much-needed awareness about the medical issues associated with bladder and bowel conditions as well as how it impacts our hearts and minds. We also want to educate the wider community so that bladder and bowel health can be better understood.
Our mission is to continue to support and empower the community.
We do this by:
- Giving you the tools and information you need to live a healthy lifestyle – such as nutritional advice, fitness tips and practical support.
- Continuing to provide The Original Just Can’t Wait Card but in more formats. Since March 2021 the card has been available on smartphones via Google Wallet or Apple Wallet as well as the original plastic card.
- Maintaining and updating our library of information about each condition that affects our community.
- Delivering quarterly newsletters to our subscribers.
- Offering and maintaining an active Support Group of over 20K via Facebook for anyone living with a bladder or bowel condition, who needs to talk.
The Bladder & Bowel Community continues to be proud to serve information and support to people in the UK and internationally and welcomes contributions from our members. If you’d like to find out more about working with us, get in touch.
