In 1978, there were no specialists for children with crohns and colitis. Inflammatory bowel disease had been seen for many years in adults but at that time it was very rare for it to affect a child.

A group of concerned parents of young children with Crohn’s resolved to act on the need for research to understand what was going on. With their passion, CICRA pushed for more specialists and our research programme was born. Much of the success of our research started in the early days and the laboratory we supported, that became a focal point for leading research into IBD.

In the four decades that followed, our supporters have funded over £5million of research. The key to success has not only been the projects themselves – which have included new treatments and more insight into potential causes – but the impact of getting brilliant scientific minds to specialise in paediatric gastroenterology. 27 fellows, 28 PhD studentships and over 50 projects have had a positive impact for thousands of children, young people and their families.

Our research programme has helped train more paediatric IBD specialists, whose CICRA funded projects have been the start of whole careers helping children and young people with crohns and colitis.

How your donation helps

£10 could pay for 2 weeks of nutrients to grow cells in the lab for research

£15 could help fund research to improve IBD tests, taking us towards earlier and more accurate diagnosis

£50 given by each of 10 people could pay for two days of a scientist to work in a laboratory, identifying targets for the development of new treatments for children with IBD

£100 could help provide the tools for scientists to unpack the microbiome of the gut in minute detail

£1000 fundraised through a sponsored event could help pay for two weeks of a research project to understand more about what causes inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)