ALLERGY CAMPAIGNER’S AWARENESS PROGRAMME GOES VIRAL!

Julianne Ponan MBE, CEO of top 14 allergen-free brand Creative Nature planned to talk to around 3,000 schoolchildren about living with allergies – yet requests for her simple education programme means over 100,000 children should now become more allergy-aware.

The campaigner, who is working in partnership with Allergy Advocate influencer Stephanie Hulme from Positively Allergic and Allergy education specialist Natalie Hopkins from The Allergy Badge, launched a new education programme during Allergy Awareness Week last month (from April 24th).  They hoped that between them they could reach around 3,000 children. 

However that number has risen over 30 times to an estimated 105,000 children as requests for the programme have been received from primary schools, school meals’ service, secondary schools, activity clubs and leisure centres across the UK. 

“It’s hard to believe this has had this impact and we’re all thrilled about it,” Julianne said. 

“Allergies are not going anywhere. Allergies are rising, particularly food allergies and everyone needs to know about it and understand how to support a friend at school, a loved one at home or a colleague at work who lives with allergies. 

“Educating children from a young age means that the stigma around living with allergies becomes less of a ‘thing’ and those children who are affected will not feel so isolated and excluded as they go through their education.”

One of the organisations which has taken up the programme is the Junior Adventures Group UK (JAG).

A spokesperson said: “We are proud to be the UK’s leading provider of before, during and after school clubs with over 30 years’ experience building brighter futures for children. JAG have taken up this programme and work with over 150 schools, 40,000 families and 10,000 children every day.”

“We believe in inclusion, not exclusion and want to foster a culture of understanding and acceptance. Where allergies are concerned, this kind of project is vital as it’s clear that the number of children being diagnosed with allergies and intolerance is growing.”  

With an average of two children in every class suffering from food allergies, Julianne, Stephanie and Natalie still want to hear from headteachers and senior teachers who would be willing to host her new free education programme around living with allergies. 

“We have a group of ‘allergy mums’ from around the UK who are willing to go into their local schools to spread the word about what it’s like to live with allergies and to create more kindness and tolerance around children who are allergic to everyday food and drink,” Julianne said. 

Julianne has severe and complex allergies and anaphylaxis which came to light when she was a toddler. During her school life, she often felt isolated and excluded because of her dietary needs. 

“I want to help those children who are like me, and hopefully make their time in school better. My goal is to educate children and teachers about the severity of allergies, and how their actions can have real-world consequences that can at times be life-threatening. Introducing this information to children in schools as early as possible is vital.”

The presentation covers these subjects: 

• How to use an auto-injector, what it is and what it does.
• Having empathy for friends who suffer from allergies, so that they don’t think they’re odd or weird. 
• How to help their friends by learning to eat safely – for example, making sure they wipe tables after they’ve eaten, in case they have eaten foods that will make their friends react.
• Being aware of what foods their friend can’t eat, due to allergies.

Julianne has many serious allergies, including all nuts, and if exposed to one of them, she can go into anaphylactic shock, something which happened to her only last month. Her experiences of living with multiple food allergies and anaphylaxis led her to found Creative Nature and create a range of allergy-safe, tasty and healthy snacks for people like her. 

“My allergies were – and are – so severe that it’s not just about what I eat or drink, it also means I have to be careful what those around me eat and drink. This is horrible when you are a child. It is the remit of schools to provide a safe environment for all of their pupils to thrive, and I feel that by sharing this information, I can help them to be fully inclusive.”

Creative Nature’s award-winning products are free from the top 14 allergens and use superfood ingredients to both improve their nutrient value and make them lower in sugar than alternatives on the market. 

If you work in a school or know of a school that would be interested in Julianne’s presentation, please contact [email protected]