PEOPLE who manage to lead successful and fulfilling lives -- despite suffering the often-crippling pain of arthritis -- are to be celebrated during Arthritis Research Week, June 2-9.

Medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign is highlighting the achievements of patients throughout the UK by awarding them the accolade of "Champions of Arthritis."

All our Champions are ordinary people who do extraordinary things every day of their lives, by refusing to let arthritis get the better of them, and insisting on keeping up as normal a life as possible.

Much of the research work we fund is directed towards improving the qualify of life for arthritis patients by developing new treatments and therapies.

But although for many people treatments are much better than they used to be, there is still no cure, and there's an awful lot more work to do before we really crack arthritis in all its many forms.

The ARC has more than 70 booklets and information sheets on all kinds of arthritis, which are available free of charge.

NICOLA GRAY, Arthritis Research Campaign, St Mary's Gate, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S41 7TD.