L-W-O Community supports primary and secondary lymphoedema by promoting emotional wellness, lymphatic health, self-care, patient empowerment, online and in the community.
L-W-O Community Supports
World Lymphoedema Day
March 6th
Lymphoedema Awareness Month 1st March - 31st March 2026
Celebrating World Lymphoedema Day, and a historic first for the UK World Lymphoedema Month.
World Lymphoedema Day is fast approaching, and this year carries a new sense of momentum and possibility. It’s a moment to honour everyone living with lymphoedema, to amplify our collective voice, and to shine a brighter light on a condition that deserves far greater recognition and understanding.
March carries a different weight when you live with lymphoedema. It’s more than a page on the calendar; it’s a moment to pause, raise awareness, share knowledge, and stand alongside everyone affected by lymphoedema and lymphatic malformations. It’s a month that reminds us we’re part of a community that learns, adapts, and supports one another every step of the way.
For the first time ever, the UK will not be marking just a single awareness week; we will be celebrating Lymphoedema Awareness Month throughout the whole of March. This is a powerful step forward. A whole month gives us more space to educate, advocate, challenge misconceptions, and celebrate the strength of our community.
L‑W‑O Community is proud to stand alongside other UK lymphoedema organisations as we take part in this expanded national effort. Together, we’ll be sharing stories, raising awareness, championing self‑care, and reminding everyone that lymphoedema is not a footnote; it is a lived reality that deserves visibility, respect, and action.
This is our moment to unite, uplift, and be heard.
This is our month.
Why raising awareness Matters
Raising awareness isn’t a slogan or a seasonal activity; it’s a lifeline. When people understand lymphoedema, they’re more likely to seek early diagnosis, push for better care, and recognise the condition as a legitimate health priority rather than an afterthought.
In the UK, this matters more than ever. Services are under immense pressure, and the consequences are already being felt. In 2025, two lymphoedema services closed. Then, in January 2026, North Warwickshire lost the lymphoedema service at the Mary Ann Evans Hospice, a devastating blow for local patients who relied on that specialist support. These closures aren’t isolated events; they’re symptoms of a system stretched beyond its limits and a serious lack of funding.
Awareness is one of the few tools we have that can shift the landscape. It helps to:
1. Drive Funding and Investment
When lymphoedema is visible, it becomes harder for decision‑makers to ignore. More awareness means stronger public pressure, more informed commissioners, and ultimately more funding. And with funding comes:
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Advances in treatment options
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Better access to compression, therapy, and specialist care
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Investment in research and innovation
2. Protect and Strengthen Services
Awareness builds understanding, not just among the public, but among healthcare professionals, policymakers, and local leaders. When they understand the scale and impact of lymphoedema, they’re more likely to protect existing services and fight for new ones.
3. Improve Early Diagnosis and Self‑Management
The earlier lymphoedema is recognised, the better the outcomes. Awareness empowers people to spot symptoms, seek help sooner, and manage their condition more confidently.
4. Reduce Stigma and Isolation
Lymphoedema is often misunderstood, minimised, or dismissed. Awareness helps people feel seen, validated, and supported. It builds community, something we have championed for years.
Past Campaigns
From 2021 to 2025, the L‑W‑O Community has worked closely with Mary Fickling of PhysioPod® UK Ltd., building a trusted partnership rooted in shared values, consistent communication, and a mutual commitment to raising lymphoedema awareness.
Over these years, we have supported each other’s campaigns, shared resources, and amplified key messages to ensure that those living with lymphoedema feel seen, informed, and empowered. As we move into this year’s awareness campaign, we are taking a slightly different approach, one that deepens our collaboration even further.
Mary and I will be proofreading and sharing each other’s work, strengthening the clarity, reach, and impact of our messaging as we continue to champion the lymphoedema community.
CALL TO ACTION
Gaynor Leech
A personal message from me on behalf of all of our members and followers, as well as anyone else dealing with lymphoedema.
I'm urging everyone in the lymphoedema/lymphedema community to share our postings on social media so that we may reach out to patients, the general public, physicians, lawmakers, policymakers, and health care professionals. We will use World Lymphoedema Day (WLD) and Lymphoedema Awareness Month (LAM) to show the world that:
“Lymphoedema exists; we exist”.
Patient Voice
I am passionate about giving those that live with lymphoedema a voice.
Our World Lymphoedema Day campaign continues to reach more individuals worldwide than I could have dreamed. Everything I do revolves around patient empowerment and community engagement.
This year, my goal is to reinforce our aims by continuing to raise the voices of people living with lymphoedema in order to promote lymphatic health, provide self-care information, and improve well-being.
L-W-O Community is proud of our efforts to raise awareness of lymphoedema/lymphedema among the public, patients, patient advocates, patient associations, and healthcare professionals.