National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society

Who we are

Axial SpA is an inflammatory disease of the spine and joints. Inflammation where muscles attach to the bones, causes extreme pain. If left untreated, it can permanently fuse bones together.

We are the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS), the only charity in the UK dedicated to transforming axial SpA care

For almost 50 years we’ve been providing specialist support, advice and the most up-to-date information. We aim to empower everyone with axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA) to manage their treatment and to stay in control of their lives. We are driven to ensure that health professionals around the country deliver tailored and timely care to every patient, every time.

More than 200,000 people in the UK have axial SpA – that’s 1 in 200! So our members and supporters sit right at the very heart of NASS. Not only do our members financially support our work as well as the services and information we provide to everyone affected by axial SpA (AS), but this vast community also adds such passion and focus to what we do. We always turn to them first when we ask ourselves ‘where shall we go next’? Our trustees are all NASS members and ensure we are focussed on the things that matter the most.

We are working hard to dramatically increase public awareness of axial SpA going forward. Therefore, the voices of this community are going to be more essential than ever. We are so much louder and stronger together.

Will you join us on that journey?

Our culture and values

We're a small team who genuinely care about each other and the people we support. Everyone pitches in, helps out, and you'll feel like a valued part of the team from day one.

We're passionate about our mission but we're also realistic - we know we're a small charity doing big work, so we support each other and celebrate the wins together. You'll work with people who are hardworking, dedicated, friendly, and committed to making a real difference for people living with axial SpA.

We value flexibility, trust our team to manage their work, and believe everyone should feel welcome and appreciated for what they bring.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

NASS is committed to ensuring that equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the organisation are a fair reflection of society. We value diversity and we recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge and culture, and that this difference brings great strength.

We believe that discrimination or exclusion based on individual characteristics and circumstances, such as age; disability; gender or gender identity; marriage and civil partnership status; pregnancy and maternity; race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation; socio-economic background; trade union membership status or other distinctions, represents a waste of opportunity to develop our organisation and community to its fullest. NASS will not tolerate discrimination or harassment and is fully committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment. NASS’ staff, trustees, NASS branch attendees, NASS members, volunteers and anyone applying for a job with NASS will receive fair and equal treatment.