A big thanks goes to Jenny Gordon who kindly road-tested the Etac Relieve Angled Cheese Slicer for us.  Here’s her customer review!

“I have now used the cheese slicer regularly and found it very good.  My review of the Etac angled cheese slicer is that it was a bit awkward the first time I used it and although it produced nice thin slices of cheese it did make  a mess of the block of cheese used on ( not sure if this was because cheese was a type that doses crumble)? But once got the knack of using it I have found it very good, it produces nice thin slices, perfect for a sandwich of for cheese on toast.The size of the handle provides a good grip and the angle of the handle makes it easy to use and pain free! I found it much easier to cut the cheese then using a normal knife-would recommend it!”

Would you be interested in joining our customer review panel?

We’re hoping to create a pool of people with arthritis who would be interested in road testing our products.  You get to keep any item you review and no essays are required - just a brief outline of the pros and cons of a product as you see it!  If this sounds like something you would be interested in please email customerservice@funkyarthur.co.uk with the subject title “customer review panel”, we won’t use your data for anything else and we’ll be choosing our next product for review soon!

Funky Arthur is always looking for ways to support the work of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) - a tremendous patient-led charity that works hard to provide support, information and advocacy for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, their families, friends and carers.

That’s why we are so excited to be able to collaborate with the NRAS in their “Recycle for Charity” campaign.

“Recycle for Charity” is an organisation which aims to donate over £100,000 to charity - each and every year.  Simply by recycling inkjet cartridges and mobile phones they have managed to donate a staggering £298,739 to date.

The NRAS has teamed up with “Recycle for Charity” and will benefit from every cartridge or mobile phone you recycle.  To put it into context, every 12 cartridges that are recycled will pay for a helpline call to support someone with RA.  Mobile phones can raise up to £30 when recycled, so just 1 recycled phone will help fund the production of an information toolkit for a volunteer.  It really is an easy way to support the work of a tremendous charity.

To show our support we will be enclosing a recycling envelope along with every order that we despatch - all you have to do is fill it!  If you can, please join us in supporting the NRAS - together we can make a real difference.

For more information go to http://www.nras.org.uk/support_us/nras_online/recycle4charity.aspx.

If an impaired grip makes it difficult for you to cut food, then we have the perfect solution.  Christened the Knork, this innovative new product combines the functions of a knife and fork in one attractive design.

The knork has outer tines (or prongs!) which safely cut food like a knife but without the sharp edge to cut mouths. It simply slices through food with a rocking motion made possible by a finger platform on both sides of the handle. The knork can be used by both left and right handed users.

For a limited time we’re selling the knork for just £9.99  (RRP £11.25) We love it and hope you do too!  Go to the Knork!

If, like me, your days of marathon running are long since gone (having never really started…!) then spare a thought for Phil Packer and Catherine Bull who will be completing the London Marathon this weekend and raising much needed funds for Arthritis Research UK.

The challenge faced by Catherine and Phil is even more astounding when you consider that just two years ago Phil sufferered severe spinal injuries whilst on operational duties in Iraq.  Although severely disabled he managed to complete the London Marathon in 2009 and this year is aiming to complete the 26 miles of the marathon in 26 hours for 26 charities.  Phil has nominated Arthritis Research UK as his first mile charity and will be accompanied by Catherine Bull, a young arthritis sufferer, who is also raising money for Arthritis Research UK . Catherine and Phil aim to make people aware of the 15000 children who suffer the pain of arthritis and to raise money to help fund research into Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).

It would be great if you felt able to support the important work that Arthritis Research undertake, simply go to Phil’s safe and secure donation page to make an online donation.  Catherine and Phil would also both really appreciate your messages of support and you can post your messages at Arthritis Research UK’s dedicated page.

To find out more about the work of Arthritis Research UK, visit their website.

We are offering one lucky visitor the chance to win a One Touch Jar Opener. Retailing at more than £25, this gadget is one of the best tools around for opening stubborn jar lids. Safe enough to use on any jar yet powerful enough to deal with the toughest jars it’s perfect for anyone who suffers from arthritis in their arms, wrists or hands

To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is complete our quick 5 minute survey. The competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland and the closing date for receipt of entries is midnight Friday 5 March 2010. One lucky winner will be selected at random from all entries received and will be notified by email within 10 working days of the closing date.   Good Luck!

I recently listened to a radio programme where the contributors were arguing that term “schizophrenia” should be abandoned in favour of a more descriptive and less pejorative name.  There were a number of suggestions put forward for this new name, but what they all had in common was a desire to reflect the reality of schizophrenia from a patient perspective whilst being more accurate and informative for those without the condition.

The programme piqued my interest because I think that it’s time that the term “Rheumatoid Arthritis” had a makeover too.  If you suffer from RA yourself you’ll be familiar with the type of comments that abound when you talk about your diagnosis.  People often confuse it with osteoarthritis and will empathise with you by sharing their own “aches and pains”.  However, whilst osteoarthritis is another dreadfully debilitating condition, it doesn’t generally include the type of systemic effects that are common with RA, and doesn’t require the aggressive and often toxic rounds of medication that people with rheumatoid arthritis have to accept should they wish to avoid serious joint damage.  There is a real lack of understanding out there.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame my friends and family.  Before my diagnosis I knew nothing about RA either and would probably have been guilty of making the same sort of comments.  No, what I blame is the name, which is both ambiguous and uninformative .  So here’s my challenge to you.  Can you come up with a better name for Rheumatoid Arthritis?  I’d love to hear it.

PS:  There are some great organisations doing their best to raise awareness of RA.  In the UK the most well known is the NRAS who are making a Radio 4 Charity appeal on Sunday 17th January at 07.55 and 21.26.  And if you can’t manage either of those times then it is repeated the following Thursday at 15.27.  Well worth a listen! Find out more

Arthritis Ireland's Exercise Book and DVD

Now I’m not claiming to be Paula Radcliffe, but prior to being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis I did a fair bit of exercise.  The year before last I took part in the Playtex Moonwalk - a 25 mile night walk around London, a year or so before that I took part in the MS Society’s 50 mile Big Foot Challenge.  We even have a treadmill.

However, since my arthritis took hold I have been nervous about exercising.  Will it make me worse?  How much (if any) pain should I put up with in the pursuit of a healthier, fitter me?  That’s why I’m pleased to tell you about a new product - Arthritis Ireland’s Exercise Book and DVD ‘Be Active with Arthritis’.  The programme has been designed in consultation with physios who specialise in arthritic conditions so you know you’re in safe hands.  Step by step instructions enable you to maintain and improve your mobility in the comfort of your own home - avoiding any horrible ‘gym moments’.  All proceeds from the sale of this exercise book and DVD go directly to Arthritis Ireland so your order will support a great charity too!

If you don’t subscribe to the fabulous Arthritis News, then you won’t have seen their article about Funky Arthur and how it all began!  You can see it here

The copy is reproduced with the permission of Arthritis Care (UK) and was originally published in their magazine, Arthritis News. See www.arthritiscare.org.uk for details.

We recently had an email from one of our visitors asking why we use the word “sufferer” on our website.  The author of the email, someone with arthritis, felt that the word was negative, depressing and indeed cringeworthy.

I have to say that I agree.  The word “sufferer” simply does not reflect the ethos of Funky Arthur.  Personally speaking, I also find the term unpalatable.   So why do we use it?

Unfortunately it comes down to a technical issue.  When I look at how people find us online, a large proportion of them include the word “sufferer” in their search terms.  Common keywords include “gadgets for arthritis sufferers”, “aids for arthritis sufferers”, “products for arthritis sufferers” and so on.  This means that if we were to remove the word “sufferer” from our site, then fewer people would find us and fewer people would have access to what we hope you agree are some great products.

It’s not all doom and gloom though.  As Funky Arthur grows and becomes better known, I can see a day when we will be able to drop that word altogether.  I for one can’t wait.

Christmas will soon be upon us, and for many this brings the dread of writing all those Christmas cards!  Pain when writing is a real problem for arthritis sufferers so we thought it was about time that we expanded the writing aids section of our site.  We’ve added two great new products which we feel sure that you’ll love.

The Original Pen Again

The Original Pen Again

The original pen again is a revolutionary no-grip solution to writing.  The body of the pen is shaped like a “Y” creating a cradle for the index finger to rest in, whilst the weight of the hand provides sufficient pressure to write.  An Ergo-Sof version is also available which has a rubber coating for even more comfort.

Dexball Writing Aid

Dexball Writing Aid

The Dexball writing aid was designed with arthritis sufferers in mind.  Made from high density foam, the spherical shape means no more painful gripping, whilst a special insert holds your pen or pencil in place.  Available in large or small dependent upon your grip strength or hand size.