North of Scotland IA aims to help and support people who have to undergo surgery which involves the removal of their colon and the creation of either an ileostomy or an ileo-anal pouch. Our membership stretches from as far south of Aberdeen as Inverbervie, Aberdeen city and throughout the north east corner of Scotland.

The majority of our members have had their surgery performed at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and we have a good relationship with the stoma care nurses based at the hospital.

We can offer valuable support and advice gained from our own experiences and the knowledge and insight gained from years of living with an ileostomy or ileo-anal pouch.

As a group we organise an annual Stoma Information Open Day which is normally held late July and is very well attended. The venue for this has changed over the last few years and we are now using Curl Aberdeen which is just off the Lang Stracht in Aberdeen as there is ample parking and good transport links making it easily accessible for all our members. It is a hive of activity with the ostomy company reps showing off their latest range of products, dieticians, stoma care nurses, incontinence nurses, representatives from the Colostomy Association and IA in attendance. We organise alternative therapists to come along and provide taster sessions for our members to try. We have a raffle and refreshments are served throughout the morning.

In addition to this we also hold an annual quiz night, normally in a social club in Inverurie. This is a social evening open to family and friends.

For the last 3 years we have organised a meal for our members in January at different restaurants in Aberdeen which allows members to meet up and enjoy good food and company.

In the past we have enjoyed fun days at Lochter Outdoor Activity Centre in Aberdeenshire. Members are challenged to try different activities such as archery, clay pigeon shooting, digger driving challenges and karting. We start the day with bacon rolls and finish by having a soup & sandwich lunch all together. This is an excellent social outing enjoyed by all ages.

Other social events are organised as determined by the interest of our members. If you have any suggestions for future meetings or social events please contact our secretary, her details are on the contacts page.

Our Young IA group meets regularly. They organise social events which have included ten pin bowling, going out for a meal, indoor adventure golf and the challenge of the climbing wall. If you would like to join them please contact our Young IA Co-ordinator to find out where they are meeting next, their contact details can be found on the contacts page.

Details of what events are forthcoming can be found on the events page.