I am a person behind the allergy campaign
*'In a bespoke survey, (Food Standards Agency) 60% of young people with food allergies reported that they avoid eating out because of their condition. Children, teens and young adults are beginning to think about their return to school and the "real world" risks that come along with that. Not only Covid-19, but the ever-present danger of severe allergies. The Allergy Table and the Teal app are partnering to launch a month-long campaign to raise awareness for allergies.
'I am a person behind the allergy’ campaign is aiming to provide allergy reactors with confidence surrounding their allergies and to reduce any embarrassment they may have. The campaign is centred around remembering that they are first and foremost people and that having allergies is only one part of their lives.
The Campaign will be asking people with allergies to upload photos to their social media platforms portraying who they are behind the allergy. They will have the opportunity to participate until the 30th of September; sharing a photo of themselves on their feed, captioning who they are behind the allergy (e.g. Weightlifter, painter, coffee addict) and tagging #behindtheallergy @the.allergytable @fomo_no_more.
At the end of the campaign, we will take the photos and use them to spread the message that allergies do not have a look; changing the narrative behind allergies from ‘feeble', ‘nerdy', ‘weak', to ‘confident', ‘resilient', ‘strong’. One person will also receive a personalised 'I am a person behind the allergy’ Teal t-shirt.
The mission of this campaign is to show everyone that we are people behind the allergies. Just because you cannot see them, doesn't mean allergies aren't real.
Allergies are not our identity; we are so much more than that. We are the friends you go dancing with, the one next to you in yoga, we are the photographer, nutritionist, entrepreneur, school kid, the parent... We are just like you, but we manage life differently. We want to show everyone that we are human.
To coincide with the launch of the campaign, we will be releasing a video featuring well-known advocates within the online Allergy Community, in a personal video that showcases who a person is behind an allergy, along with their honest reactions to the statement "you don't look like you have allergies.
Created by Lindiwe Lewis. The blog shares people’s stories about living with food allergies, recipes, food preparation tips, product & restaurant reviews, campaigns, personal diary, and much more. A connection to the allergy community is what we strive for.
The blog brings awareness that there is a real person behind the food allergy, so the reader leaves learning something new, feeling confident in advocating for themselves and feeling little less anxious living with an invisible condition.
Contact:
Lindiwe Lewis
theallergytable@gmail.com
theallergytable.org
*Available for comments, clarity if needed
Teal is the universal colour for food allergies and also stands for clarity and communication. Teal app provides quick portable access with helpful resources, the latest news and updates for the UK food allergy community, and bridges the gap between individuals, the medical fraternity and brands and businesses.
Simplifying a family’s food allergy journey, and empowering them with the tools for living with and managing food allergies at home and away.
May you truly live by our ethos of #FOMONOMORE.
Contact:
Caron Pollard
caron@cozagroup.com or theassuretechteam@gmail.com
teal-app.com
For more information about the campaign and a copy of the video, please contact both Lindiwe at theallergytable@gmail.com and Caron at Teal caron@cozagroup.com.
I am a person behind the allergy - @the.allergytable & @fomo_no_more
#behindtheallergy
Please participate, share, like, comment and get involved. I am so excited to see your photos and who you are #behindtheallergy
HERE IS WHO I AM #BEHINDTHEALLERGY
FINAL VIDEO & POSTER
We had around 90 submissions for this campaign, from babies, reactors, parents and allies. It was an amazing month with people from around the world sharing who they are behind the allergy. The mission was to show the public that we are people; strong, confident, resilient people living with allergies.
I am so proud of this campaign and I am excited to share with you the final video and poster for it!