Research User Group Newsletter Keele University RUG Spring / Summer edition | Page 19

SPOTLIGHT ON...
THE RESEARCH
USER GROUP
B
etween grandparenting duties, volunteering
for Arthritis Care UK, and being a member of
the Consortium Board, longstanding RUG member
Carol Ingram is well and truly keeping herself busy. In
spite of the fact that she contends with daily health
issues, the 67 year old devotes herself to others -
using her own experience to enrich research and
ultimately improve the care of others like herself.
Carol lives with Osteoarthritis and has done so since her
early 20’s. The condition led to her having her left knee cap
removed at 29 and her right kneecap removed at 31 and she
now uses arm crutches and a hinged knee brace to help her
to walk. She also suffers with fibromyalgia, ankle pain, a
curvature of the spine and has had injections in both her
back and shoulders for the pain.
Carol said: “No one tells you about how difficult it is going to
be get around and walking.
“You are in constant pain every day and night and
everything you do is so hard because of the pain and the fog
you feel you’re in.”
Carol has been involved with Arthritis Care Stafford Branch
for the last 22 years, as a Self Management Trainer working
in the community, delivering training over a six week period
to help people with arthritis to look at their condition in a
different way. At one point she supported eight teams
across Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Shrewsbury. She then
became the group’s chair after six years.
She continued: “I’m particularly proud of the fact that when
we needed president for our branch, I decided to ask Lord
Patrick Lichfield - and he said Yes! He attended the branch’s
21st anniversary and even cut the cake. 
"Joining the RUG was
an eye opener"
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“It’s an achievement I have treasured memories of.”
Talking about her work at Keele, Carol went on to say:
“I became involved at Keele with work around
arthritis - and what a eye opener it was.
“I now work on the RUG Steering Group and have
made so many friends. We had our 10 year
celebrations last year - and what a celebration it was!
“Laura Campbell, from the PPIE Team, made a video
about the RUG and I, along with other RUG members,
spoke about our experiences within the group.
“I was then asked to judge the poster competition,
which I did and enjoyed doing, and on the d