Charity Today News!

Charity Today

UPDATE 16th March:  You did it! Invest in ME got the most nominations and won!  More news on this when we have it. Meanwhile, well done and big THANKS everyone for nominating Invest in ME. 

Posted on 10th March:
Great chance to win a month’s free advertising on Charity Today News for Invest in ME Charity. The charity with the most nominations wins, it’s that simple.
How to enter:
Simply like and share the post, then name Invest in ME below to nominate them.
Closes 11am on 13th March 2015.

The post is currently pinned to the Charity Today page on Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/charitytodaynews

THANKS 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

Let’s Get Snapping for ME 2014 Competition Online Vote

There’s always a great sense of excitement in the air when our Online Vote goes live
because everyone is eager to see the entries. However, this year it’s even more so since not
only are everyone’s images going in for the first time but most of the Let’s do it for ME Team
haven’t even seen any of them. With over 150 images and the high standard of entries
everyone is certainly going to be spoilt for choice. We’re also really glad we expanded our
competition to accept artwork this year as there are obviously some very talented people
out there. But before we tell you how to vote, we’d like to say a very big thank you to everyone
who has entered and to all those taking part. We couldn’t do it without you!

To vote, simply go to our Voting Gallery and click ‘Vote’ on your favourite image(s). You can
vote for as many images as you like but you can only vote once per image per IP address.
Facebook users can vote on our Competition App Page and those not on Facebook can vote
via our Competition webpage. Since there are so many entries make sure you click on ‘View
More’ at the bottom of Gallery to see them all. Alternatively, you can click on the first
image and scroll between them using the arrows directly beneath the image. This option also allows
you to see the images in full as the Voting page only initially displays image thumbnails.
Remember the vote closes at midnight 7 September.

Invest in ME will then judge the final stage and choose the winners whose images will be
printed on this year’s Christmas cards. We aim to print ten cards and will announce the
winners on 19 September, both on our blog and Facebook Competition Event’s Page. We
hope to have the cards ready for sale by late September through Invest in ME’s website. All
the cards are sold in aid of Invest in ME’s Biomedical Research Fund so any purchases made
will not only help advance ME research but also raise much needed awareness of the
disease.

Have fun and good luck to all our entrants!

Invest in ME Wins Direct Debit BIG Break!

You did it - Invest in ME won! We did it for Invest in ME last year - now we have done it again.   Thanks to another round of incredible efforts by patients, families and friends to vote and spread the word, supporters once again secured over 3500 votes achieving 1st place for Invest in ME in The Big Break for the second year running, winning a donation of £2,000 from Direct Debit for much-needed biomedical research into ME.  Direct Debit tweeted confirmation yesterday: 

"Big congratulations to @Invest_in_ME after winning our March Big Break for Charity vote and scooping £2k #DDBigBreak4Charity"  

Invest in ME replied:

"Thanks so much to Direct Debit for doing this for charities & helping raise funds for much needed biomedical research for ME/CFS and thanks again to everyone who voted for us – many devoting great effort and resources to raising awareness of ME/CFS". 

They also wrote on Facebook: 

"It is thanks to unpaid and passionate patients, and their families and friends who have made a difference. Thanks again to all those who took part in promoting this despite difficult personal circumstances."

Sambat Trust were very worthy winners of 2nd place and exchanged congratulations and kind messages of support with Invest in ME. 

Direct Debit shared our Thank You graphic on Facebook, posting:

"Well done to Invest in ME after winning our March Big Break for Charity vote and landing £2k. We like this pic that's been created to celebrate, very good!"

Let´s do it for ME was also complimented by Penny Alexander, who tweeted us: 

"@Letsdoit4ME so well done, I am writing a post as DD'S blogger ambassador on how to gain votes, any tips for next month's charities?"

We think our top tip is summed up in this comment by Invest in ME - have the best supporters in the world! IiME had posted on 1st April:

"There is not doubt we have the best supporters in the world. Thank You!
We'll update the web site asap and our newsletter which is being prepared for April will recognise the wonderful, positive spirit of the supporters we have.

Patients, carers and friends are making a difference.

Let's Do Research! Let's Do It For ME."

Last year, Direct Direct raised a huge £150,000 for charity as part of the Big Break Campaign.  Thanks to over 3500 votes in the month in which they nominated, Invest in ME won the top prize of £2000 and also raised much-needed and most welcome awareness.  In a press release, Mike Hutchinson, head of marketing at Bacs, had said: 

“The work that Invest in ME carries out is not only crucial for the development of better treatments for the illness, it’s also carried out for free by volunteers so it’s great to be able to support the charity and announce it as the second winner in our Big Break initiative to help 100 good causes.” 

Kathleen McCall, Chairman at Invest in ME, added:

“We’re absolutely delighted to have won the £2,000 from the Big Break campaign. On behalf of all the volunteers at Invest in ME, I would like to thank everyone who voted for us.”

Each month from March until June Direct Debit will donate £5,000 to the causes that are decided to be the most deserving. The cause that receives the highest number of votes each month will receive £2,000; the cause with the second highest number of votes will receive £1,000; and the remaining £2,000 will be divided amongst the runners up.

All involved with Invest in ME give their time for free, and all donations go towards  raising awareness of ME, improving education about ME or facilitating and funding biomedical research into ME. Invest in ME have no salaries - all work is voluntary.  Your votes for the charity in this contest have helped them continue to progress research into this disease and bring hope to all who are affected by it.    A big THANK YOU to all involved in helping Invest in ME to help us from the team at Let´s do it for ME! 

We did it for Invest in ME!

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*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!

ldifme.org

Invest in ME (Research)

investinme.org

Invest in ME International Biomedical Research Conference (IIMEC)

investinme.eu

IiME/UCL/UK rituximab trial 

ukrituximabtrial.org