World Continence Week (16–22 June in 2025) is an annual global awareness campaign that shines a spotlight on bowel and bladder issues. This year, the focus was on children, as ERIC, The Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity brought the issue to Parliament and national TV, as well as launching a bold new campaign to provide greater support for children experiencing continence issues.
Potties in Parliament
Key stakeholders from across early years, education and children’s health and social care came together for a special Parliamentary roundtable event on 19 June, hosted by ERIC, with support from Kindred Squared and Jodie Gosling MP. The discussion centered around the huge impact delayed toilet training is having on children’s lives.
Over the last two generations, the average age that children are being toilet trained in the UK has risen from 12–18 months, to an average of around three or even four years today. Later toilet training increases the risk of developing wetting and soiling issues later, and also prevents the early identification of bladder and bowel problems.
Roundtable attendees are now drafting a consensus letter to MPs pushing for clearer guidance for parents and carers around potty training, emphasising the fact that children should be out of nappies by 18–30 months.
Find out more, including statistics and evidence on the benefits of potty training children a year earlier, here.
This Morning – focus on stomas
Also raising awareness of children’s continence issues was eight-year-old stoma patient Katie Thirling and her mum Kelly, who were both supported by the ERIC Helpline. They appeared on ITV’s This Morning, alongside TV star Mollie Pearce. Mollie also lives with a stoma and shared her story as part of ERIC’s campaign.
Children living with complex bowel and bladder conditions often suffer in silence, as talking about wee and poo can be difficult. Katie explained how painful bowel issues meant that many of her early years were spent in hospital, and she missed out on school and special childhood experiences.
Katie’s mum said: “ERIC was a lifeline. Sometimes we felt stuck. ERIC became that one source I knew I could trust for information”. The pair are now outspoken advocates for children with stomas and are on a mission to help raise £10,000 to keep ERIC's vital family services running.
A Big Summer Challenge
Across the UK 1.5 million children are struggling with a bowel or bladder issue. Last year, ERIC directly supported over 6000 families through our Helpline, and received 1.6 million visits to our website – but the problem is getting worse. Higher volumes of children with issues and a lack of children’s continence provision across the UK means that demand for ERIC’s services has never been higher. This, combined with a shortfall in funding, means that the charity is struggling to meet demand.
That’s why, with support from Katie and Mollie, we’ve launched our Summer Appeal, in a bid to raise £10,000 to keep ERIC’s vital family services running. The charity is asking those who can to donate via our website here.
Got some spare time over the summer? Why not take on a Big Summer Challenge for ERIC and help us meet our target? Whether you run a marathon, do a sponsored walk, or wear red, white and blue for ERIC at work to raise money, every little helps. Find out more and start fundraising here.
Resources for families and professionals
ERIC has released several new resources to support with bowel and bladder issues.
For parents / carers:
• Podcast: how to support children who experience bedwetting
• Podcast: potty training children with additional needs
• Podcast: living with a stoma
For professionals:
• Podcast: supporting children with constipation, through diagnosis and treatment
• Voices for Change Report: the challenges young people face with bowel and bladder health at school
