The Bladder & Bowel UK Impact Award recognises an individual or group who has shown exceptional commitment to improving the lives of people with bladder and/or bowel conditions. This could involve volunteering, fundraising, lobbying, researching, counselling, improving wellbeing, educating, or similar efforts.

The winner is…
Bethany Harris

We’re delighted to announce that Bethany Harris is the winner of the first Bladder & Bowel UK Impact Award.

For more than ten years, Beth lived with severe slow transit constipation. She tried one treatment after another, but nothing worked, and in the end she became so poorly that her kidneys were affected. Having an ileostomy changed her life, and after coming through such a frightening time, Beth didn’t want anyone else to feel as scared and alone as she had.

So she started talking about it. On Instagram and TikTok (@palomathestoma), Beth shares what life with a stoma is really like, the good days and the harder ones, along with practical tips for people who are new to it all. More than 15,000 people now follow her, and her openness is helping so many feel able to talk about something that’s often kept quiet.

When Beth realised there was no stoma support group near her, she started one herself, and she runs it regularly. She’s also spoken up about the mental health of children living with stomas and bowel conditions, and raised money for charity, including taking on the 2026 London Marathon.

Beth’s honesty, kindness and determination have made a real difference to so many people. We couldn’t have asked for a more deserving first winner.

Interested in applying for 2027?