Frequently Asked Questions Find everything you need to know about coeliac disease, the gluten free diet and the work we do.
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What are the facilities for disabled access?
There will be an entrance exclusively for those requiring disabled or buggy access (Gate 16) with a steward and lift to the event spaces.
I'd like to help out on the day. How do I volunteer?
We'd love to hear from you if you're interested in volunteering on the day, as we have a number of roles you can get involved with. Simply email festival@coeliac.org.uk
Have you tried to keep the membership fee the same?
Yes, Membership fees have been the same for five years and this is only the second fee increase in 11 years. We need to safeguard the membership scheme so we can cover the cost of providing the services. To do this, we carried out financial modelling and made sure that we validated our thinking by looking at the membership fees set by other charities. We’re pleased to say that we’re still one of the most generous, even with the fee increase.
Why has the concessionary fee changed?
Currently, for every new concessionary member, we lose £7 providing them their membership services. We have tried to keep the fee increase for existing members to a minimum, and for new concessionary members, the new pricing structure is more in line with other charities.
Will Stephanie’s research result in a blood test to see if you are sticking to your gluten free diet?
Yes, we hope so.
Stephanie has looked at certain markers on the gluten specific T cells and how quickly they appear in response to gluten. If we include this marker with the HLA-DQ:gluten tetramer test, we may be able to say something about whether patients have eaten gluten recently or not. We need to perform further validation of this phenomenon before we can use it in a clinical setting.
What can I do if a restaurant does not provide me with allergen information?
By law, restaurants should be able to provide you with information (either written or orally) on any allergens, including cereals containing gluten, in all the dishes they serve. This is as a result of legislation that was brought in at the end of 2014 to improve allergen information for consumers. Read more about the changes brought in with the Food Information Regulations.
Problems or concerns about poor hygiene and safety in a food outlet or a trading standards issue such as food mislabelling on non-compliance with the law should be reported to the local authority.
You can find the local authority for any establishments that you go to by visiting the Food Standards Agency website.
Does everyone with potential coeliac disease go on to develop full blown coeliac disease or will someone stop producing antibodies and feel better?
No, probably not every potential coeliac will go on to develop the 'full-blown' disease. An issue here will be how long the individuals are followed up.
We also have evidence from studies of children that some who are positive for IgA anti-transglutaminase 2 antibodies in the blood, become negative for these antibodies. In these children we believe that they are on the way to develop disease, but then the disease process for some reason reverts. Whether the same can be the case in adults, it is not known. If so, it is probably not very common.
Why are you putting up the membership fee?
Charities operate in an increasingly digital world and printing and postage costs have negatively impacted the entire sector. We have been trying to absorb these increased costs by using other sources of charity income to deliver the membership scheme and by limiting other areas of work. However, this isn’t a sustainable approach and if we want to keep on driving change and improvements for people living gluten free, we have no other choice but to slightly increase fees.
What happens if someone with coeliac disease eats gluten by mistake?
The reaction to eating gluten varies from person to person. In some people, it may trigger symptoms that last several days, while others might not experience any symptoms at all. The amount of gluten someone eats affects the degree of gut damage and your individual sensitivity to gluten affects the symptoms you may or may not experience. You may also find that your symptoms differ in type and/or severity compared to before you were diagnosed.
If a mistake is made and you have gluten by accident, it is unlikely to cause any long term gut damage, although you may suffer from diarrhoea, abdominal pain or vomiting so it is important to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water. You may find taking medication to treat constipation, diarrhoea or headaches can ease your symptoms. Speak to your GP or pharmacist for further advice.