Spotlight I love my job because I am able to contribute to change Versus Arthritis professional engagement officer Danielle Welsh is passionate about raising awareness of arthritis As told to: Phil Lattimore I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when I was two years old, so Ive always been passionate about raising the profile of arthritis and other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. Ive worked in the third sector for pretty much my entire career. I worked for Age Cymru for nine years in a similar kind of role. Ive known about Versus Arthritis for a long time, and was always really impressed by it. When the vacancy came up, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I joined in October 2020, so I spent most of my first year having not met my colleagues face to face. Im based in Wales with Cymru Versus Arthritis, and work on CWTCH Cymru (Communities Working Together Can Help) projects. I work with healthcare professionals to build up a professional alumni network, and give them access to good practice, regular information, and research updates on arthritis and MSK conditions. The main component of my job is to deliver our flagship education workshops to healthcare professionals in Wales. They would usually be face to face, but have been online during the pandemic, which has actually proved a useful way for busy professionals to participate. The insight that we gather from people with arthritis shapes all of our work. In our most recent Unmet Needs survey, one of the main issues that kept coming up was interactions with healthcare professionals, and how important those were to peoples health and wellbeing. Post-course surveys suggest that 96% of delegates feel their confidence and knowledge have improved. And its having a real impact its creating behavioural change at primary care level, so were seeing more referrals into local Versus Arthritis touchpoints, changes in the language they use with patients, and increased confidence in knowing how to help patients self-manage better. Im really passionate about arthritis care. I love my job because I am able to help to contribute to change in MSK care and knowledge at the primary care level. I know how important exercise is, so I try to keep as active as possible. I love walking and hiking, and Im also a huge fan of cold-water swimming. Im part of a group called the Dawnstalkers, and we swim every day at sunrise off the coast of Penarth. It doesnt just lift my mood, it also really helps with pain management. Cold-water swimming doesnt just lift my mood, it also really helps with pain management