WELCOME TO IA GREATER LONDON WEST (IAGLW)

About us
IA Greater London West is a registered charity that was formed in 1995 with the aim of helping anyone living in the West London area and elsewhere whose colon has been or is about to be removed by surgical procedure.

What we do
At a personal level we provide support to those who have had or are about to have surgery for an ileostomy or internal pouch, as well as their family, friends and carers. The support comes in various forms -
• our Visitors are trained listeners who being members of IAGLW can bring a personal perspective to the information and guidance they give;
• our Newsletter keeps members informed of our activities and any news that would be of interest to the members;
• and our website allows members to keep in touch, find out what we are doing and contact the Secretary for additional news and information.
We also work in partnership with organizations such as the Kingston Trust to assist those experiencing financial hardship.

At the local level we are in close contact with the Stoma Care Departments of the hospitals in our area. This allows us to be aware of the needs of the members and invest in improvement of services to benefit colorectal patients. Links have been forged with some of the stoma care appliance manufacturers and any local events that they organize to promote new products are publicised whenever possible.

And at the National level IAGLW uses its affiliation with the Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Support Group as a channel through which it invests in research on bowel diseases, related conditions and surgical procedures by making periodic donations to their Research Fund. This Group also publishes the ‘IA Journal’, a quarterly magazine that is packed with articles that cover a broad range of subjects from the latest in medical practice to tips on coping with everyday problems. IAGLW distributes this magazine to all members and also participates in their Annual Raffle to raise funds.

How we do It
As a self-regulating, self-supporting and self-financing organisation, IAGLW relies entirely on members supporting its activities. It is run by a Committee of members (the Trustees) who meet 3 or 4 times a year to plan and share out the workload. This includes everything from preparing and mailing the quarterly Newsletter, organizing members meetings and fund-raising events, liaising with the local hospitals, updating the website and running the local Young IA to dealing with our finances.
If you are not already a member then it is possible to join either online or by post using the link to the Main IA Site. Currently the membership costs £12 for those age 60 and under on 1 January 2009 and £8 for those over 60.
Once you become a member there are a number of ways of becoming involved with IAGLW. For those who have recently had surgery the members meetings provide an informal setting in which to meet and talk with others who have had a similar experience and give support to one another. Volunteers are always welcome to join in the work of the Committee and we would invite anyone with new ideas or fresh suggestions that will be of benefit to the members to get in touch.

Because We Know, We Care

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