Thanks to our wonderful supporters ME Research UK has reached our already increased Pledge target for this year’s Christmas Challenge – a day earlier than the original deadline.
Yesterday, the Big Give extended the Pledge phase to 11pm Sunday 7th September and so, to aid those who wish to participate, we have increased our Pledge goal to £19,500.
£100 is the minimum pledge permitted by The Big Give. We appreciate that this is a large sum but Pledges are key to the campaign’s success. the more momentum we show, the greater our chance of attracting a Charity Champion who will double even more donations. The more we can raise the more we can invest in ME research globally.
Pledgers’ funds are key in 2 ways –
- Other supporters are more likely to contribute to ME Research UK during the 7 days of The Big Give if they know that their donation will be matched by a Pledger. One pledge, twice the impact. Conversely, donors may look elsewhere if they see their donation will not be doubled.
- If we secure sufficient pledges then we may be chosen by a Big Give Champion who will contribute even more to the pot. Last year £14,100 was received from the The Big Give Charity Trust who chose ME Research UK to support in this way.
Pledge to help us invest in ME. Pledge today and encourage others to give.
How were Big Give 2024 funds invested?
Thanks to the generosity of Pledgers, donors, and The Big Give Charity Trust, ME Research UK received a total of £56,732 (excluding Gift Aid) – which was 101% of our campaign target.
Every penny received was invested in ME research and has enabled us to fund a project with Dr Sarah Annesley at La Trobe University in Australia looking at microRNA profiles and their impact on platelet function and energy production in women with ME/CFS.
Dr Annesley introduces her research in a short video.
As Dr Annesley explains, “In this new project, we’ll study blood samples from women with ME/CFS and compare them to healthy controls to look for differences in microRNA profiles. We’ll also test whether these changes in microRNAs can actually cause changes in platelet activity and energy production using cellular models …. If our hypothesis is correct, it could open the door to new treatment possibilities – including therapies based on microRNAs, which are already being explored for other illnesses.”
