About York IA

York IA is a registered charity and member organization of IA, the ileostomy and internal pouch support group, formerly known as the Ileostomy Association of Great Britain and Ireland. Our primary aim is to provide support to anybody who has had or is about to have their colon surgically removed.

Joyce Gallon organized the first IA group meeting in York in 1968 and nine years later York IA became a group in its own right. Since then York IA looked after the interests of ileostomy patients and more recently internal pouch patients in the North Yorkshire area. In 1994 York IA became a registered charity in its own right.

Certain inflammatory bowel diseases and certain cancers and a number of other problems can lead to a person requiring surgery to remove their large intestine. This will normally result in the formation of an ileostomy or possibly an internal pouch. IA exists to look after the interests of these people and to provide help and support to enable them to return to a normal life.

The links on the left provide information about our organization, our aims, the people who run it, how we are funded, the things we do and a little bit about our history.