APRIL UPDATE: This whistle-stop tour of 92 football league grounds in 92 hours by four friends of M.E. sufferer Ian to raise awareness and funds for a ground-breaking medical treatment trial runs from 16th to 21st April. Big THANKS to all who are helping to get maximum coverage and support from football clubs and media across the country for this incredible challenge by the fan-tastic foursome - Team 92 for ME! To donate to Cat, Mike H, Mike W or Raza on JustGiving or text IIME92 £1 (or £2, £3, £4, £5, £10) to 70070. You can also follow them on Twitter @92forME or find them on Facebook or see their blog.
The tour kicked off in the West Country with this great piece by regional ITV News. Team leader Mike Harley was also featured with a chat on BBC Radio 5 Live (fwd to1 hr 46 mins).
The tour kicked off in the West Country with this great piece by regional ITV News. Team leader Mike Harley was also featured with a chat on BBC Radio 5 Live (fwd to1 hr 46 mins).
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| Team 92 for ME Flyer |
To make it easier, we drafted a letter you can use to contact your local newspaper, local news website, local TV stations, radio and football clubs (see below). You could also post on media and football club Facebook pages or tweet them the link to the event website (link below). This is a great opportunity to raise public awareness of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and biomedical research into this disease.
If you get a positive response or hear of local media coverage, please tell us or Team 92 for ME so that they can add the info and links to their website.
If you get a positive response or hear of local media coverage, please tell us or Team 92 for ME so that they can add the info and links to their website.
Graphic created by Ian showing all the fantastic clubs supporting the event so far.
http://www.92in92.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/thanks-to-all-these-fantastic-clubs.html
List of club responses so far.
http://www.92in92.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/club-responses-so-far.html
List of media responses so far.
http://www.92in92.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/media-roundup.html
Here's a letter you can use to contact media and clubs.
Subject: Football Ground Charity Challenge
A team of football fans from Bristol are aiming to visit all 92 English football league grounds in 92 travelling hours in support of Invest In ME (www.investinme.org) - a leading M.E. research charity in April this year.
The team start their challenge on Weds 16th of April and are aiming to raise awareness for myalgic encephalomyelitis - an illness which they feel does not get the funding/research as many others. Their childhood friend, Ian, has been off work with the illness for over 7 years and now Invest in ME are raising funds for a ground-breaking new research trial that could help him and up to 250,000 other UK sufferers get back to living normal lives.
List of media responses so far.
http://www.92in92.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/media-roundup.html
Here's a letter you can use to contact media and clubs.
Subject: Football Ground Charity Challenge
A team of football fans from Bristol are aiming to visit all 92 English football league grounds in 92 travelling hours in support of Invest In ME (www.investinme.org) - a leading M.E. research charity in April this year.
The team start their challenge on Weds 16th of April and are aiming to raise awareness for myalgic encephalomyelitis - an illness which they feel does not get the funding/research as many others. Their childhood friend, Ian, has been off work with the illness for over 7 years and now Invest in ME are raising funds for a ground-breaking new research trial that could help him and up to 250,000 other UK sufferers get back to living normal lives.
Team leader Mike Harley told us: "The idea is to reach the grounds at a time where we can give out information and maximise on raising the profile of M.E, the need for research into the illness and the Invest in ME charity. It's going to be a gruelling challenge but one as football fans we're all looking forward to!"
They are set to appear on ITV News, BBC Radio and Talksport and are hoping to raise the profile as much as possible. They will be starting the event in Plymouth and finishing up at Middlesbrough on Monday 21st of April having completed the 2700 mile challenge.
Over 50 clubs across all 4 divisions are helping to publicise their event and you can find more info on their challenge through their website and sponsorship page below.
Over 50 clubs across all 4 divisions are helping to publicise their event and you can find more info on their challenge through their website and sponsorship page below.
The charity has had a flag especially made for the tour and this will be taken along and used for photo opportunities at all of the clubs. The team are 4 friends from Bristol, (Left to right in pic); Mike Harley (31), Raza Rizvi (32), Mike Ward (32) and Cat Harley (31)
There's more info on their event at www.92in92.blogspot.co.uk and www.justgiving.com/teams/strobl
Also on Facebook www.facebook.com/92forME and Twitter @92forME
It would be brilliant and much appreciated if you could help raise public awareness of this charity challenge. Thanks in anticipation.
Kind regards,
There's more info on their event at www.92in92.blogspot.co.uk and www.justgiving.com/teams/strobl
Also on Facebook www.facebook.com/92forME and Twitter @92forME
It would be brilliant and much appreciated if you could help raise public awareness of this charity challenge. Thanks in anticipation.
Kind regards,
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| Team 92 for ME - Mike Harley (31), Raza Rizvi (32), Mike Ward (32) and Cat Harley (31) |
The ball's in our court - let's do it for ME!
(First posted 16th March)
Thank you for your support.
*Let's do it for ME! is a campaign to help raise awareness of the work of independent UK charity Invest in ME (Research) and funds for the biomedical research into myalgic encephalomyelitis that the charity is organising and/or funding. Invest in ME is run entirely by unpaid volunteers who either have ME or are parents and carers of ME patients. They are driving the agenda of scientific biomedical research into diagnostic tests and treatments for myalgic encephomyelitis in UK in collaboration with international researchers of world renown - 2014 will be an exciting year for progress in M.E. research - you can help*
Let's do it for ME!
Invest in ME (Research)
Invest in ME International Biomedical Research Conference (IIMEC)
IiME/UCL/UK rituximab trial
