In the News ...
Worthing champion honoured at 2008
Coeliac UK Awards
Helen Pengelly was presented with the ‘Awareness Raising Champion’ award at the recent 2008 Coeliac UK Awards at the Charity’s annual volunteer’s conference at Glaziers Hall in London.
Coeliac UK, the national charity for people with coeliac disease, presents the awards to recognise the hard work and commitment of extraordinary people across the UK who provide outstanding assistance to those with the disease.
The winners are chosen from nominations made by members of the Charity and Helen was nominated in recognition of her commitment to provide support, practical help and a voice for those with coeliac disease.
Helen was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2003, passionate about good quality food but frustrated by the difficulties she faced when first put on a gluten-free diet, she set up Johnsons Dietary Provisions Limited which sells a range of allergy and gluten-free foods.
”Winning the award hasn’t really sunk in yet! After the problems faced by our family not having access to information about coeliac disease, hopefully I can prevent other people going through the same thing. My dream would be to become the ‘Jamie Oliver’ of the coeliac world, making people aware of what they are putting into their bodies,’ Helen explained.
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten, which causes an inflammation in the intestines. Left untreated, the disease can lead to more serious conditions, such as osteoporosis, infertility or bowel cancer. The only treatment for coeliac disease is sticking to a strict life-long gluten-free diet.
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK and sponsor of the ‘Awareness Raising Champion’ Award’, said: ‘The quality of nominations was once again extremely high and choosing the winners was not an easy task. I would like to pass on my sincere congratulations to the Helen for the excellent work she has undertaken; we are thrilled to honour those who go the extra mile to help support people with coeliac disease.’
At least 1 in 100 people in the UK has coeliac disease; so for hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, being careful about what they eat is not just a faddy diet – it is an essential way of life.
For more information about coeliac disease please go to www.coeliac.org.uk
