ROS Highlights 2021: Walk with Sholto

Today we’re looking back on highlights from 2021.

In a new film from the charity, narrated by one of our volunteers, Sholto, we showcase some of our work over the last 12 months. Here are just a few highlights:

- Provided guidance and support to members of the public over 347,000 times.
- Our specialist nurse Helpline answered over 14,000 enquiries.
- 70% of our support groups met digitally.
- Recruited 79 volunteer advocates.
- Engaged over 2,800 healthcare professionals.
- Delivered education and training for healthcare professionals, including our new eLearning module to help spot spinal fractures.
- Launched our new public affairs programme and briefed 119 Parliamentarians and NHS leaders.
- Osteoporosis was mentioned in Parliament more times in 2021 than over the previous eight years combined.
- Invested £400,000 in research into osteoporosis through our largest ever grants round.

We’d like to thank our members, volunteers and supporters for contributing to the work we’ve done over the last year.

Watch the short film here.

What’s next?
Last month we launched our new four-year strategy, Breaking the Silence, which repositions the charity to meet the needs of the NHS and wider society following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, we'll be working to achieve 11 objectives that encompass the six strands of the strategy.

With the new strategy and the objectives that underpin it, comes a commitment from the ROS to raise awareness, inspire action among the public and policy makers and demand change for the millions of people living with osteoporosis. Investment in research and influencing will be aimed at closing the treatment gap, alongside an advertising campaign to warn people at high risk. Meanwhile, investment in digital support services will help more people than ever to live well with osteoporosis.

Watch our strategy film here or follow @royalosteosoc on social media for regular updates on our work.