About the British Thyroid Foundation

The British Thyroid Foundation (BTF) is an organisation set up in 1991 to help people with thyroid disorders. BTF staff, medical professionals, volunteers and people with thyroid disorders work together to provide support and information based on reliable medical evidence and personal experience.

Who is the BTF for?

It is for anyone with a thyroid disorder, for people interested in finding out more about thyroid disorders, as well as for parents, carers, family, friends, general practitioners, consultants and nurses.

How can the BTF help people with thyroid disorders?

Our information provides facts about thyroid disorders. When you join the BTF, we will send you all the leaflets you request - these explain the different thyroid disorders.

We work with thyroid specialists from the British Thyroid Association (BTA), to ensure you get up-to-date and reliable information. The BTA is a non-profit-making learned society of professional clinical specialist doctors and scientists who look after patients with thyroid disorders and who carry out research into the thyroid.

We provide funds each year for research into thyroid disorders and for a nurse award; and we pass on information from the patient to doctors and nurses so they know what concerns people with thyroid disorders.

You will find further information and support from BTF telephone support volunteers - people who themselves have a thyroid disorder - and at BTF meetings - organised by our volunteer local coordinators.

The BTF book list gives details of books written for people with thyroid disorders.

In the meantime see our Quick Guides for instant information about thyroid disorders.

Learn about the benefits of membership and how we can support you.

Since 2002 the BTF head office has been in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. We currently have three employees who are joined most days of the week by volunteers who help us in many different ways. Harrogate is a spa town on the fringe of the Yorkshire Dales, which became famous for the healing properties of its waters when mineral springs were discovered over three centuries ago. A further claim to fame is Harrogate’s Odeon cinema, a grade II listed building, which featured on a Royal Mail 19p stamp in 1996. The town is home to Bettys tea rooms, Farrah’s toffee, Taylor’s tea and Harrogate Spa Water. Harrogate is known for its International Conference Centre (which hosted the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest!), the annual Great Yorkshire Show, Spring and Autumn Flower Shows, RHS Harlow Carr Gardens and the Harrogate Stray - 200 acres of open parkland - picturesque in every season of the year.