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​Will you join the #TalkThyroid Campaign?

We want to spark lots of conversations about thyroid health on World Thyroid Day (25th May) and during International Thyroid Awareness Week (25th to 31st May) and we'd love you to get involved! ​

​What is the #TalkThyroid Campaign all about?

So often people say that no-one can understand thyroid disease unless they have it themselves and of course not everyone experiences a thyroid condition in the same way. The #TalkThyroid Campaign provides an opportunity to raise awareness of thyroid disease, educate or learn from others and even fundraise while doing so.  Just starting a simple conversation with a friend, family member or colleague, about your own or a loved one's experience with thyroid disease, counts and we want to know about it!

Tell us how you are going to #TalkThyroid here. 

​Why #TalkThyroid?

So many people have struggled with their thyroid condition, sometimes more than they've realised, when they've been unwell. For some, thyroid disease is easily managed while others really struggle. Both physical and mental health symptoms can be so varied and wide ranging, It can be very hard.
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​That's an important message and we want people to share it.
 
Some already have. You can read about some of our thyroid friends, including the author Michael Rosen,  on the thyroid stories section of this site. 

Looking for more information on thyroid disease? Check out our Information pages which includes links to other reliable sources and our Information Videos by leading experts.​

How can you get involved and #TalkThyroid? 

What's your story? What do you wish more people knew about thyroid health? How could you fundraise or increase people's awareness of thyroid disease? How could you bring people together in conversation to #TalkThyroid?

You can get involved by:
  • Having a conversation with a friend or family member.
  • Sharing your story on social media, through our website or submitting a guest blog for our website.
  • Arranging a talk to a club you belong to or if you are a healthcare professional, to a patient group​
  • Organise a get together, host a picnic, walk, lunch, tea party or special event
  • Undertake a fundraising challenge, like your own butterfly run, walk or bike ride

​Don't forget to tell us what you hope to do for the #TalkThyroid campaign here.​​

​As the thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland, or is sometimes described as being shield shaped, you might even like to include a butterfly or shield theme to add a bit of fun! Using the #TalkThyroid hashtag on social media will also amplify our collective voices and help everyone with a thyroid condition to feel less alone.
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Would you like further inspiration for this year's campaign?
Have a look at what we did during International Thyroid Awareness Week 2021 and see what our Fantastic Fundraisers did. 

​Last year artist Vicky Roden also talked about her thyroid condition and likened the gland to a warrior's shield. She made two fantastic videos for us, one telling her story and one a fun workshop making fondant thyroids! Watch both and read Vicky's story on our blog Art, Thyroid Disease, Science and Fun!​​

#TalkThyroid Resources 

​Watch this space,  we'll be adding further campaign resources as we get closer to the campaign week this year. We'd love your help so let us know if you have ideas to add to the mix and / or some time available to volunteer!  For now:
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Join the #TalkThyroid Fundraising Campaign

What other people are doing to #TalkThyroid 

  • On Saturday 21st May, we are having a Talk Thyroid Patients’ Voice Event at the Waterloo Action Centre in London and you are welcome to join us. Our lovely volunteer Kamal, will be sharing his experience of being asked to talk to some medical students by his GP, after having a total Thyroidectomy. Kamal will touch on the important role other patients can play in helping educate healthcare providers, by sharing their stories, so that clinicians and policy decision makers may better understand patient needs and accurately incorporate the patient voice into their services. 

  • Our dear thyroid friend Loz has been busy asking her workplace to share International Thyroid Awareness on their staff Bulletin, could you do the same?
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  • ​On Wednesday 25th May, you are very welcome to join this year's Butterfly themed walk and beach picnic in sunny Broadstairs on the Kent coast, with our Director, Lorraine. A few of our thyroid friends get together at the seaside each year around this time. ​Meet outside the Information Kiosk in front of Viking Bay at midday, or find us on the beach near the Inflatable Giraffe from 1:30pm. Butterfly fancy dress or accessories are very much optional.  We'd just love to see you there. We have some very nice T shirts and badges too, that you can order from us in advance, if you'd like to wear one of those so that together we are all more visible. 
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  • Our dear thyroid friend Amy is raising awareness of thyroid disease throughout May, by creating precious little butterfly artworks. Follow Amy's amazing awareness raising for Graves' Disease in May 2022 on Twitter - click the Alt Text on each artwork to see what she says about each one. They are very powerful.
 
  • The Thyroid Trust's Development officer will be hosting a butterfly tea party to start a conversation about thyroid health. Lee with his young children and extended family, will be spending the afternoon making butterfly craft, playing games and eating butterfly shaped sandwiches, could you do the same?​