NRAS exists to support the 430,000 adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis and 12,000 children under the age of 16 with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Founded in 2001 we are the only UK charity devoted specifically to RA and JIA. We are an award winning charity who punch well above our weight and have an enviable international reputation as a leading patient-led organisation in the field of Musculoskeletal/Rheumatology Diseases. We also support the carers of those with RA and JIA as well as working with the health professionals who treat these diseases. Whilst we don't undertake clinical/medical research ourselves, we support a huge range of clinical and academic research in the UK.
We provide a wide range of support services including informative websites, www.nras.org.uk and www.jia.org.uk as well as helpline, publications, peer to peer support, 46 community groups across the UK and we have recently set up a trading arm to provide supported self-management services to the NHS as a sub-contracted partner to providers.
Being diagnosed with an incurable, progressive, complex and very painful auto-immune condition like RA or JIA can be frightening and isolating. No-one should experience this on their own and NRAS are there in time of crisis and every step of way. RA is not, contrary to public perception, an 'old person's disease' - you can develop RA at any age after 16 and most common age of onset is between 40 and 60. Nearly 3 times more women develop RA than men.
We have active groups and volunteers across the UK who work with us to help us deliver our aims and objectives. We are a one-stop shop for people affected by RA and JIA and our activities are aimed at supporting people by providing information and education in a variety of formats, face to face, telephone, email, group education, on-line forums, social media outreach. We also campaign at national, regional and local level to ensure that RA and JIA are prioritised appropriately in the government's long term conditions agenda to ensure equal access to best care and treatment. We collaborate with other charities and professional organisations to meet common objectives and contribute to the development of national guidelines and standards such as NICE.
