A charity is raising awareness about a little-known condition, usually associated with older people.

Tonbridge-based charity Juvenile Arthritis Research supports children, young people and families affected by Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).

JIA is an autoimmune condition where the body’s natural defences attack the joints causing inflammation, pain and reduced mobility. It can affect children of any age and once diagnosed a person has the condition for life.

The charity was founded five years ago by Richard Beesley, from Tonbridge, whose wife and daughter both have JIA.

He said: “Before working at Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, I used to work as a researcher and statistician, so I wanted to go back to my roots in science to help find a cure for JIA.

“We worked together with parents, young people, the medical profession, and even with teachers and schools to develop information resources to support families when a child is diagnosed with JIA.”

There is little awareness of childhood arthritis which can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment. If left untreated, the condition can cause permanent joint damage as well as complications with eyesight.

“Delays are happening because of a lack of awareness that children and young people can even get arthritis so we need to increase awareness...”

Richard explained: “Prompt diagnosis really is vital. The delays are not due to long waiting lists.

“The delays are happening because of a lack of awareness that children and young people can even get arthritis so we need to increase awareness amongst families, amongst schools, amongst healthcare professionals such as GPs and A&E staff who might be amongst the first medical professionals that a family sees.

“They need to know that it is okay for them to refer to specialist paediatric rheumatology services if they suspect that it could be JIA.

“GPs will normally rule out other serious conditions but JIA is often overlooked. Often blood tests and X-rays will appear completely normal in JIA so it really is important to refer to paediatric rheumatology where specialists can make a diagnosis.

“A referral to an eye specialist is also vital because around one in five children with JIA can develop uveitis which can cause loss of sight if not detected and treated promptly.”

Juvenile Arthritis Research has developed an awareness campaign called ThinkJIA to encourage parents to “just think and ask” if it could be JIA if a child is experiencing any issues with their joints lasting more than six weeks.

The charity recently moved into a new building in Crabapple Road, Tonbridge.

New window signage featuring children, young people and families from the local area has been installed with thought-provoking imagery.

The images are bright and colourful and feature some of the core messages that families affected by JIA wanted others to know.

Richard said: “We try to get a balance in all we do between the serious side of raising awareness and showing that living with JIA can bring it’s challenges whilst also giving hope to those diagnosed so that they know that with the right treatment and support, they can still lead full lives.

“As a very small volunteer-run charity, Juvenile Arthritis Research would love to hear from any businesses or funders who are able to offer their skills, services or funding towards their work.

“We’re thrilled to have such a visual presence in Tonbridge with the new building as we hope that it will enable us to continue to strengthen our links with the local community.”