1st of the month - the day to donate £1 to 1st Class ME Research!

A Pound For Research

The original idea by Ruth Gilchrist for One Day - One Pound was for as many people as possible to donate just £1 on May 12th International ME Awareness Day to show support and to help raise vital funds for 1st class biomedical research for tests and treatments for ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis).  We extended this to include a monthly reminder of our ongoing fundraising for this vital cause on the 1st of each month.  Donations at any time are welcome. Every £1 makes a big difference to the charity that our cause supports - Invest in ME (also now registered as Invest in ME Research). 

Gift Aid is an extra 25% of your donation from the government if you are a UK tax-payer,

so don't forget to tick the Gift Aid box when you donate if this applies to you.

If in UK you can text APFR99 

£1-£5 or £10

to 70070 

(JustTextGiving)

Text donations add to the total raised on the Just Giving Page.

You can add your name and Gift Aid if eligible by text. 

You can also donate (worldwide) 

any amount (minimum of £2) via JustGiving

Other options to donate £1 or more .. 

Paypal

To: paypal@investinme.org

Bank Transfer

Bank: Lloyds TSB Eastleigh

Sorting code: 30-92-94

Account number: 02252685

Bank Transfer from outside the UK 

IBAN: GB63 Loyd 3092 9402 2526 85

BIC/SWIFT: LOYDGB21209

Cheque

Send cheques payable to ‘Invest in ME’ to:

Invest in ME 

PO Box 561,

Eastleigh,

Hampshire,

SO50 0GQ

(add Gift Aid to your donation with Invest in ME’s Gift Aid form)

Please help spread the word .. 

Let's Do it For ME is a patient-driven campaign launched in 2011 in support of the proposal by independent UK charity Invest in ME (Research) to establish a centre of excellence for translational research and patient care based around Norwich Research Park in East Anglia; the first of its kind in UK/Europe and in collaboration with other leading UK and international biomedical researchers.

We help to raise funds for the biomedical research into myalgic encephalomyelitis that the charity is organising and/or funding in the development of the centre of excellence projects. The foundation study investigating the role of gut permeability in ME got underway in 2013 thanks to achieving our initial fundraising target of £100k (new target £200k) The next £50k fully funded a study of B-cells based at UCL prior to a clinical trial (new target £450k). 

Our crowdfunding for specific ME research is the first of its kind in UK and has inspired similar projects in Europe and USA. We have now helped to raise over £500,000 for the IIME Research strategy to develop and are aiming for £1000,000. The current focus of the research is on the role of the immune system, including infection and autoimmunity. 

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 encephalomyelitis in UK in collaboration with international researchers of world renown. Thank you for your support! 

Let's Do It for ME!

ldifme.org

in support of Invest in ME (Research)

investinme.org

Invest in ME International Conference (IIMEC)

investinme.eu

IIME/UCL/UK rituximab trial 

ukrituximabtrial.org

You can follow our cause @Letsdoit4ME on Twitter and find us on Facebook

Thank-you for your support!

ME Awareness - Makayla & Mummy

Makayla and Mummy

Michelle Nunn wrote:

At the age of just 8 being told you have ME must be awful, you're told how you have to change your life, schooling etc. etc, it's bad enough that you're not well enough to play with your friends this is not what childhood is about!!!. But yet this brave amazing little girl has never complained or given up hope. Three and a half years later she's still holding on to this hope that one day. So to make that one day real for her and so many others she's set about raising money for IiME Charity by taking part in a sponsored horse walk. Please sponsor this brave little girl in her challenge even if its a £1 its £1 close to that hope for her and so many.  Thank you a very proud Mummy. 

Having a child with this illness is nearly as isolating as a adult with this illness.  You lose so many friends as they just don't get it, yet the support we have been shown by everyone re her sponsored walk has been amazing. Seeing her face when I tell her someone we don't know has sponsored her is priceless.  She smashed her £150 target and now she wants to get to the £1000 - please help her no matter how small it still brings a massive smile to her face.  Thank you all.

Makayla Nunn

Makayla's story:

At the young age of 8, I was diagnosed with the debilitating illness ME.

This illness had changed so much of my young life, turning my world upside down. Yet I have never given up HOPE.

I would like to join others in a sponsored horse walk on the 10th May 2015.

I suffer with exhaustion and pain so this is not going to be easy for me but I wouldn't have it any other way. Please show me your support and give me HOPE that I can do this.

Text WFME55 £1 (or £2-£5/£10) to 70070
or donate to
Makayla's Horse Walk on JustGiving
https://www.justgiving.com/michelle-nunn1/

UPDATE:  Congratulations to Makayla and big THANKS to her kind sponsors on reaching the new target this plucky little girl had set herself of £1000!  Michelle wrote: "Thank you all so much for once ME has given my little girl something to smile at and for her to say take that ME with all your kind help she has raised over £1000 (without gift aid) one very happy little girl and a proud mum. THANK U ALL."

Makayla's fundraising page remains open and her Horse Walk is planned for 10th May.

Created by Michelle Nunn

Meanwhile, if you would like one of these delightful teddy bear pictures (left) with your name on it to show your support for ME Awareness, then just let us or Michelle know when you donate to Makayla's Horse Walk and she will send it to your inbox.  You can comment on this blog or contact Michelle directly via this post in Invest in ME Facebook - http://on.fb.me/1FWmF5G

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

*****
Let's Do It For ME is an awareness and fundraising campaign in support of Invest in ME Charity. We are aiming to reach a million pounds for Invest in ME Research Funds in 2015 - please click here for March 2015 press release and details - http://bitly.com/1zZWp4l

Photo Contest Ends Midnight Sunday 15th March - Reading Rocks!

easyfundraising want you to share a picture or video with them showing why 

Reading Rocks!

Deadline is Sunday 15th March midnight.

UK residents aged 18 or over.

You don't have to be an easyfundraising member to take part.

One entry per person.

There are two ways to enter :

Facebook

Share your picture or video on easyfundraising's Facebook page, either in the comments under a post about the competition or on their wall.

Twitter

Tweet your picture or video using the hashtag #ReadingRocks and remember to mention @easyuk.

They suggest lots of ways you can show how much you think Reading Rocks; a selfie of you with your favourite book, a picture of your book club, your children enjoying reading their favourite book, the kids dressed as characters from literature or even your pet with their purrfect book!

Win a £100 donation!

What’s more, once you’ve shared your photo or video, you’ll be in with a chance to WIN £100 to donate to the charity that’s close to our heart - Invest in ME!

PLUS The Book People have given easyfundraising a children’s book bundle to giveaway with an RRP of over £240! And they’ve increased donations to 3% so you raise even more.

We only have until Sunday 15th March to enter, so grab your camera and let's get snapping!

Terms and Conditions in full

GOOD LUCK & THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

*****

Let's Do It For ME is an awareness and fundraising campaign in support of Invest in ME Charity.  We are aiming to reach a million pounds for Invest in ME Research Funds in 2015 - please click here for March 2015 press release and details - http://bitly.com/1zZWp4l

Secret Easter 2015

Deadline for entry is Saturday 14th March.  This is the latest in the lovely series throughout the year based on the tradition of Secret Santa and organised by Invest in ME supporters Ali Head and Becca Hams on Facebook.  Last month was Secret Valentine, and Secret Summer is (hopefully) to look forward to again this year. Now is the time for Secret Easter 2015.  Donations are via Ali's JustGiving page and proceeds go towards the IIME Rituximab Research Fund.  Please click here for further info and how to take part and don't forget that closing date is March 14th - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1549225902024668

Let's Do It For ME is an awareness and fundraising campaign in support of Invest in ME Charity.  We are aiming to reach a million pounds for Invest in ME Research Funds in 2015 - please click here for March 2015 press release and details - http://bitly.com/1zZWp4l
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Cordon Bleu for ME!

Cordon Bleu for ME

Stuck for ideas? Well, we have plenty!

• You could make a blue drink (perhaps a non-alcoholic cocktail to highlight the tolerance problems of alcohol for someone with ME); 

• or maybe gluten or dairy-free cupcakes with blue icing to represent those who cannot eat normal cupcakes; 

• or perhaps blue pasta by colouring the water (natural food colouring, of course! No nasty E-numbers required). 

• Even a blue soup in the style of the hapless and wonderful Bridget Jones! 

The choice is yours and the choice is HUGE – endless, even! Blue omelette! Blue curry! (Or at least blue rice.) Blue cheese on a pizza! The list goes on and on .... 

The results could be used for an invitation-only themed dinner (might you want to dress as Smurfs for the occasion?); a bake sale; lovely ice lollies (well, we can hope for warm weather in May!) or biscuits around the school playground or office. 

The most important thing is awareness for the horrendous disease that is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Remember, many of the severe sufferers cannot eat anything at all and are forced to rely on tube-feeding.

Blue is the colour most associated with ME and eating and even drinking a natural pleasure denied to so many who suffer from it. 

Please help them by doing what you can to highlight what they go through while having fun in the kitchen and remembering how much your efforts, whether Masterchef or total novice, count!

Let the (cake/soufflé/bread) money-raising begin! 

Find Cordon Bleu for ME on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/CordonBleuForME

https://www.facebook.com/CordonBleuForME

(the photos in this image were obtained through Google and are for illustration and inspirational ideas only)

Let's Do It For ME is an awareness and fundraising campaign in support of Invest in ME Charity.  We are aiming to reach £1m for Invest in ME Research Funds in 2015 - please click here for March 2015 press release and details - http://bitly.com/1zZWp4l

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Let's March on a Million!

We Can Do It For ME!

We said last month that 2015 marks the 10th year of Invest in ME charity and the 10th of their world-renowned international biomedical research conferences. Well, February was a landmark month for Let's Do It For ME. We raced past the milestone of £500,000 - yes, HALF A MILLION POUNDS - in real money!

This has allowed Invest in ME to initiate possibly the two most important research projects for ME in the UK: a gut microbiota study in the Norwich Research Park with IFR/UEA and a project leading to a clinical trial of the rituximab drug in cooperation with UCL.

March 2015 begins with a total of £502,000 donated or raised or pledged for Invest in ME Biomedical Research Funds since we launched our campaign to help the charity fulfil its plans to establish a centre of excellence for ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis).

This means we begin March at £502,000 on the way to the next target of a
magic million! How fantastic would it be to reach £1m in May 2016?  

A wonderful way to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of Invest in ME Charity.  Can we do it? With you and the help of your equally amazing friends and families .. YES WE CAN!

Kindly summed up in last Friday's edition of this unmissable weekly column: 

"The reason I’m so proud of one of the charities I support Invest In ME is because it’s run entirely by a few volunteers who themselves either suffer with the illness or are parents of children with ME. There are no salaries; every penny that’s raised goes where it should go and alongside the Lets Do It For ME team who are also voluntary, what they have achieved is nothing short of phenomenal."  Stacy Hart, Watford Observer. 

The Let's Do It For ME website is being revamped and we'll post more

March updates soon. Meanwhile, you can also find us on Facebook or
follow us on Twitter @Letsdoit4ME.  Do let us know if you have plans 

or events you'd like us to highlight or any ways you'd like to help. Our email is:
fundraising4me@gmail.com  Ways to simply donate are at the end of this blog. 

The press release issued by Invest in ME on 21st February may be read
in full on their website or in pdf. Here's an extract:

Five years ago Invest in ME created a proposal for a Centre of Excellence for translational biomedical ME research. The centre would provide clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment for patients andtraining and information for healthcare staff and work collaboratively with international researchers. 

With comparatively few resources the charity (all volunteers) and its supporters have established a foundation which could provide a real basis for future development and which will lead to better understanding and treatments for this physical illness. 

The model we have is, with enough support, able to continue and expand and augment and achieve a real breakthrough in ME research in UK and Europe and the world.

Let’s Do It for ME is a patient-driven campaign to raise awareness and vital funds for the centre of excellence. The campaign was set up in2011 and is run by ME patients who have the same objectives as the charity - high quality biomedical research resulting in a better understanding of the pathogenesis of ME as well as in the development of appropriate treatments. The campaign has supporters from all over the world and it has forced change through imaginative ideas, selfless efforts, dedication and positivity - a Can Do approach to a disease where so many have suffered unnecessarily for too long.

It is the Let's Do It for ME spirit - empowerment of patients and their families for action, a Can Do approach and positive campaigning and fundraising.

Together we are trying to improve the future for people with ME and their families and after reaching a milestone of £1/2 MILLION we are ready to reach our next target of £1 MILLION.

Our thanks go to the patients and their carers and friends and relatives who have campaigned for change and forced action to be taken and please join us in reaching our next target.

With enough support we can change things forever.

One small charity, one BIG Cause, one band of supporters – progress – change.  “Things do not have to be the way they are – we can change things.” - Dr Ian Gibson.

Let’s Do Change. Let’s Do It For ME.

Contact: info@investinme.org tel: 02380 251719 or 07759 349743

*****

A BIG THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

March 5th update - matching donation offer - http://bit.ly/1A15euJ

Ways To Donate

(add Gift Aid if UK Tax-Payer)

Paypal

paypal@investinme.org

Bank Transfer

Bank: Lloyds TSB Eastleigh

Sorting code: 30-92-94

Account number: 02252685

Bank Transfer from outside the UK

IBAN: GB63 Loyd 3092 9402 2526 85

BIC/SWIFT: LOYDGB21209

Cheque

Payable to ‘Invest in ME’ to:

Invest in ME

PO Box 561,

Eastleigh,

Hampshire,

SO50 0GQ

UK tax-payers can add Gift Aid to donations - Invest in ME Gift Aid form

JustGiving 

(worldwide - minimum £2 donations)

https://www.justgiving.com/ldifme

JustTextGiving 

(UK only)

Text: BMER99 - £1-£5 or £10 - to 70070 

You can choose to add your name and Gift Aid by text if eligible 

Text donations add to the totals on the Just Giving link above.

Other Ways to Help or Donate to Invest in ME 

http://www.investinme.org/helpus.htm

March 9th update - IIME has kindly added the above as a newsletter on their website - http://www.investinme.org/IIME-Newslet-1503-01.htm

Great Start to 2015!

Wow, thanks to everyone supporting, what a busy start to the new year, hard to believe that January's over so soon! This is a landmark year, as 2015 marks the 10th year of Invest in ME charity and the 10th of their renowned international biomedical research conferences (IIMEC10). You can read more in the first Invest in ME newsletter of 2015, published in pdf on 27th January - http://bit.ly/1wAnt7L  You can sign up to receive their free e-newsletters by email. 

Jam-packed as usual with news of their amazing work on campaigning, advocacy, education, and with updates on the research and fundraising on pages 8 and 9 of the pdf. You'll see links to some of the new fundraising events organised so far for 2015 including: Walk for ME, Twighlight Colourthon, Brighton Half-Marathon, Sheffield Half-Marathon, Brighton Half-Marathon, Thames Path Challenge, Tough Mudder South-West, 2015 miles of running in 2015, A Birthday Challenge. 

Also new for 2015 is the New Year, New ME fundraiser, an all-year round extension to the very successful Stoptober for M.E. Awareness and fundraiser organised by Ali Head, whereby supporters gave up something they enjoy and donated what they saved to Invest in ME. Aimed at the family and friends of people suffering with ME in hope that they will support the search for treatment and an end to the neglect of this devastating disease. Event info here -
https://www.facebook.com/events/852973618102072

Watch this space for the launch of The Big Sleep for ME 2015. Meanwhile, Team Princess is polishing up their tiaras in readiness to play their role. You can find them on Facebook here - https://www.facebook.com/meprincesses 

Two more major awareness and fundraising events are Mike Harley's EU Marathons and Mike Shepherd's North Pole Challenge. You may remember Mike Harley from last year as Team Leader of 92 for ME, the amazing tour of 92 football league grounds in 92 hours. He's now embarking on a mammoth challenge to run a marathon in 28 EU countries! Mike's EU Marathons Facebook page is here - https://www.facebook.com/mikeseumarathons

Mike Shepherd's North Pole Challenge is set for April 2015 and is all the more remarkable as he will be the first person with a heart pacemaker fitted to run a full marathon at The North Pole. Mike's wife Lara has fibromyalgia, and he is doing this amazing challenge for the sake of his teenage daughter Elizabeth, as she has had ME for several years of her young life. Mike's North Pole Challenge Facebook page is here - https://www.facebook.com/Northpolechallenge

Sue Page's Small Change to Change M.E. Fundraiser will run again throughout 2015. The £2014 target was reached by 31st December 2014, so Sue has raised the target for this year to £3000. Loose change – it all adds up! The event page is here - https://www.facebook.com/events/1536858226585701/

You're welcome to let us know if you're planning any events for Invest in ME, or if you'd like to help out in any way with our awareness and fundraising in support of the charity.  We are mostly severely ill and the charity itself is also run by volunteer patients or parents/carers, with no paid staff.

Current Invest in ME Research Fund Totals are:

Gut Microbiota Research - £130k raised of £200k target.
Rituximab Research - £368k of £450k target. 

So, just £2k shy of a whopping £500,000 raised for Invest in ME Biomedical ME Research Funds since our campaign launched in July 2011 support of the charity's proposal (published May 2010) for a centre of excellence for translational biomedical ME research and patient care! 

Oh, is 1st of the month? The day to donate just £1 to IIME's 1st class biomedical ME research!

http://blog.ldifme.org/2012/06/one-day-one-pound.html

Thank-you for your support.

 

Let's Do It for ME

ldifme.org 

in support of Invest in ME (Research)

investinme.org

Invest in ME International Biomedical Research Conference (IIMEC)

investinme.eu

IIME/UCL/UK rituximab trial 

ukrituximabtrial.org

 

  Let's Do It for ME is a patient-driven campaign helping to raise awareness of the work of independent UK charity Invest in ME (Research) on developing a UK centre of excellence for M.E. 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. 2015 marks the 10th year of amazing progress made by this small charity with a BIG cause. Will you help them make it the best yet? Let's do it for Invest in ME!

Christmas Greetings from ME to You!

Thank you for your on-going support throughout 2014!

This campaign is only a success because of you as you're the ones really "Doing It for ME!"

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and of course, as always, thinking of all those isolated at this time of year. Many of our group have severe ME so our thoughts are truly with you.

Looking forward to more fun fundraising with you all in 2015! 

We also wish all at Invest in ME charity a well-deserved Happy Christmas and all the best for the year ahead - our campaign exists in support of their amazing work!

Extracts from Invest in ME Christmas 2014 newsletter ....

Invest in ME and our supporters have a firm belief that the only sensible strategy for finding useful treatments, prevention and ultimately a cure for ME is via a focus on biomedical research into the illness. Our efforts since 2007 have concentrated on international collaboration in biomedical research - something that has already been proven to be productive.

In 2013 we had announced the beginning of our plans to initiate a clinical trial of rituximab following the BRMEC3 Colloquium and our magnificent supporters have achieved the impossible in 2014 and raised the initial target of £350,000. A preliminary B-cell study was made part of this project and that was started during this last year.

Our foundation project at UEA/IFR continued and we have complemented this with funding of medical students who are participating in our projects by intercalating during their fourth year of study.

Our intention was announced in 2014 to fund more PhD studentships and our targets have been set.
The charity set up an Advisory Board of researchers to help with strategy and focus research efforts. This has met twice in 2014. With the planned four PhDs and three medical students working on biomedical research into ME a good foundation for our future aims has been built.

With all the hardships that ME causes to patients and families they still believe there is a better way and 2014 was a year when patient power really came to the fore – led by IIME supporters. Despite having been set challenging targets to initiate a strategy of biomedical research, our supporters have given hope to all patients.

Thank you all.

Our thanks to the LDIFME team for the enormous work they have performed and the service to the ME community which they have achieved through their tireless efforts to raise awareness and funds via positive and innovative campaigns.

Despite enormous difficulties we have, together, made things happen.

As we approach Christmas we can look to the next year and express hope. We have our tenth International ME conference and our fifth Biomedical Research into ME Colloquium - which will now span two days.

We would like to wish all of our wonderful supporters a very happy Christmas and a New Year full of hope - and a huge thank you for all that you have to done to help us all to move forward.
You continue to make a difference.

Merry Christmas!

From all at Invest in ME

*end of extracts* - past IIME newsletters here -http://www.investinme.org/IIME%20newsletter.htm

The IIME gut microbiota research is being conducted at the world-class Institute of Food Research (IFR) and is featured in Day 7 of the brilliant Advent Calendar IFR have produced for 2014. Well worth a browse through these bite-size snippets of fun and facts - http://blogs.ifr.ac.uk/advent/category/advent/

Best Wishes to Everyone for Christmas and New Year!

Thank you for your support!

Let's do it for ME 

http://ldifme.org/

in support of 

Invest in ME 

http://www.investinme.org/

Let's Scare to Care at Halloween! Photo Competition, Scary Bear Party and more ..

Let's be devils and help Invest in ME reach their fundraising ghouls this Halloween!

Enter Giveacar's Halloween Photo Competition and win some fantastic prizes 

as well as great donations for our favourite charity - Invest in ME!

Giveacar are looking for creative, imaginative photographs of your Halloween festivities - pumpkin carvings, spooky costumes, terrifying decorations or maybe something even more unique!

Prizes

1st Prize: An Amazon Kindle and £200 donation to charity

2nd Prize: A 6 month Netflix subscription and £100 donation to charity

3rd Prize: A £20 Amazon voucher and £50 donation to charity

The competition will run from Friday 24th October to Tuesday 4th November at midnight.

To enter: You can enter the competition in a number of ways:

Facebook: Go to the Giveacar Facebook page, like the page and upload your photograph to the timeline. Make sure you mention Invest in ME charity in the text! (your picture won't appear on the timeline straight away but Giveacar will have received it).

Twitter: Tweet your photograph, making sure that you include @Giveacar so that they can see it and mention the name of Invest in ME charity (@Invest_in_ME) Follow @Giveacar to be notified of the results.

Email: You can also email your entries to charity@giveacar.co.uk making sure that you attach the photograph and mention Invest in ME charity.

For more information visit www.giveacar.co.uk/halloween-competition

Giveacar will release the results on Friday 7th November - GOOD LUCK!

More fiendish ways to raise funds or have just have fun and lift some spirits .. 

Well enough for a Halloween party, or know someone who is? 

Why not ask them to scare to care and donate £5 to Invest in ME?  

Not well enough to party, but want to raise some spirits? 

You are warmly invited to join Scary Bear for M.E. Halloween online on Facebook!  

See you there, if you dare .... mwahahah! 

Need some fiendishly fine jewellery to adorn your party scary wear?

Fly on over to Jenny's Treasures Halloween 2014 Album!

Want to shed a little light on the night?

Alison Orr's gorgeous candles - organic unscented option available!

Roger's Fright Hike for Invest In ME!
Batastic! Roger Ogborne's story: "On 31st October I will be taking part in the Fright Hike; A 20 mile hike through Epping Forest in Essex in the dark! I will be starting at Midnight on Halloween and I am doing it to raise money for Invest in ME as my daughter was diagnosed at 15 with this illness. Invest in ME is a charity that seeks to raise money to fund biomedical research in regards to ME." 
See Roger's Everyclick fundraising page.

THANKS to all joining in with the spirit of our campaign to raise awareness 

and lots of funds for Invest in ME - Happy Halloween everyone!

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 is an exciting year for progress in M.E. research - you can help*

Let's do it for ME!

in support of

Invest in ME

Stoptober for ME!

Stoptober is a Department of Health campaign that challenges smokers to give up cigarettes for 28 days during the month of October. But why stop there? Will you or your friends or family members give up something in October and donate the money to Invest in ME? 

This is the idea behind Stoptober Stop for ME! An event created by Ali Head. 

October has become the month of abstinence, so how about inviting your family and friends to give up something they love and will miss for a month and donating what they would have spent to Invest in ME? 

The sentiment behind this is people with ME have to go without so many things they love; drinking, fags, going out, eating what you like, shopping, cinema, clubbing even holidays, their choices are so limited by this illness so during the month of October why not give up something you love and raise money for biomedical research into myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) at the same time?

What to do? 

Mark yourself as attending, and invite your family and friends to join in to support you.

Choose what you're giving up.

Tell us what you're giving up, how much of it you usually have, and what it costs!

At the end of Stoptober you can donate what you've saved to;

https://www.justgiving.com/StoptoberstopitforME

Or you can text as you go along by texting "POTS66" and the amount you wish to donate.

We say "thank you very much for supporting the local charity Invest in ME who are the worlds leading voluntary organisation for research and support of people with M.E"

Stoptober for ME event on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/events/296827953856735/

Let's do it for ME!

In support of the proposal by Invest in ME (Research) Charity to establish (now develop) a UK centre of excellence for biomedical research and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis. http://www.investinme.org/

Welcome to IIME September Newsletter!

We said in our 1st September update that August had been a busy for month for Invest in ME Charity  

and their supporters. Well, this month has followed suit! 

Invest in ME Research Charity

This rapid progress is enabled *THANKS to YOU ALL* for your tremendous support and generous donations to Invest in ME. IIME writes:

"There are real grounds for optimism now that the charity and its supporters have been able to build a foundation for a long term strategy of biomedical research into ME."

The jam-packed pdf version of the Invest in ME September 2014 Newsletter is a round-up of the two e-newsletters published by the charity this month.

This new pdf format is a taster of things to come, as they intend in future to produce a fuller magazine to accompany the newsletter. This will transform into a monthly document which describes the work that the charity and their supporters are doing together.

 

From the Introduction:

September 2014 IIME Newsletter

Our foundation project has begun at University of East Anglia and the Institute of Food Research to analyse gut microbiota in ME patients.

At the 2012 conference we stated that we were working on an attempt to set up a rituximab clinical trial. Following our Biomedical Research into ME Colloquium in London last year we have made rapid progress by partnering UCL in setting up the planned UK rituximab clinical trial.

In our ninth year as an organisation we can say each year has been a stepping stone in breaking the mould and bringing ME into mainstream in research and media.

Funding is scarce and the efforts of our supporters to make up what has been lacking from government agencies and research funding organisations have been awe-inspiring.

Click here for the full pdf version of the September 2014 IIME Newsletter.

Please have a read and let us know what you think of the new format! 

You can also -

Click here for the web version of the 1st September 2014 IIME Newsletter.

Click here for the web version of the 22nd September 2014 IIME Newsletter.

Coming up in October ...

• 1st of the month - the day to donate just £1 to Ist Class Biomedical ME Research!

• Stoptober Stop for M.E!

• Scary Bear Halloween Event! 

Invest in ME Research Charity

Thank you for you support!

Let's do it for ME!

ldifme.org

created in support of 

Invest in ME Charity

investinme.org

I swam the length of Coniston, all 5.25 miles of it!

On Saturday the 6^th September I swam the length of Coniston Water, all 5.25 miles of it, for Invest in M.E.

I’m what you would call a ‘wellie’ but I have friends with M.E.  Over the past year, my eyes have been opened to what a debilitating illness it is. I read stories of individual challenges to raise funds, such as one persons walk to the garden gate. This inspired me greatly. When I set my swimming challenge, I decided that if courageous people with M.E could challenge themselves to raise funds, I could swim the length of the lake for them.  I’m not a particularly sporty person. By trade I’m a photographer  at Sarah Loveland Photography and this is only my second year of open water swimming. Last year when I started I wasn’t very good and I could only do half a length of the pool front crawl. I built that up to complete several one mile events. At the start of this year 5.25 miles seemed impossible but I was determined. Stubborn, determined and perhaps a little but crazy!

So last Saturday at 0835, I found myself at one end of Coniston, ready to start the swim. It was a big organised event with 500 people swimming.  There were safety kayaks and support boats in the water.  I was both nervous and excited.  At the start, the water was so calm, it looked like glass.  On the swim route there were a number of feed station boats that had water and various energy drinks, gels and jelly babies on board. The first one was at 1.5 miles and then they were at one mile intervals. I told myself that all I needed to do was swim from one boat to the next, and not think of it as one huge swim.

During the swim I thought about all the lovely messages of support I had received on my Just Giving page and in all the M.E Facebook groups. I have been blown away by all the support and encouragement. This made such a difference when I was in the water. 

I’m proud to say that I completed the swim in 4 hours and 19 minutes.  I felt a bit stunned when I got out of the water. I couldn't believe I had actually done it! It was a beautiful place to swim and an amazing thing to have done. Many people have shown their support and sponsored me. I am so grateful for this.  If you would like to sponsor me,  you still can. Sponsor me here!

I’m already thinking and planning an even bigger swim for Invest in M.E next year. I’m not going to tell you what it is just yet, not until the date has been confirmed. Once again, I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone that has supported and sponsored me, I have appreciated it so much. It has made the world of difference.

 Thank you!

Sarah x

p.s. from the team at Let's do it for for ME! We would like say huge thanks to Sarah for her incredible efforts to raise awareness of myalgic encephalomyelitis and funds for Invest in ME charity, and how excited are we to hear that she is planning her next challenge for this amazing charity?!

THANK YOU Sarah and sponsors and everyone for your support!

Sponsor Sarah's Chill Swim on JustGiving

See Sarah's award winning photography and more at sarahloveland.com