May is Lyme disease awareness month, which means we’re launching our annual Wake Up To Lyme Campaign. This year, our campaign will be entirely online due to the pandemic AND we’ve got a brand new look!
Our campaign aims to raise awareness on how to prevent tick bites, how to safely remove ticks and the importance of early treatment for those people who become unwell following a bite. We have three new videos to help us with this, including the one below which highlights what it’s like to live with late-stage Lyme disease.
You can help people in your local and online communities to be better informed and more aware of the dangers of tick bites and Lyme disease by taking part in the following activities:
1. Download awareness materials from our dedicated awareness page.
Here you’ll find posters, leaflets and our tick awareness card. These are ideal for printing at home, emailing to your contacts or sharing on social media. Help people learn about how Lyme disease is contracted, tick bite prevention tips and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Feel free to use this template as the body of the email!
2. Write to your GP, pharmacist and other health professionals…
Ask them to take the RCGP e-learning course on Lyme disease, and see if they’d be open to displaying awareness materials.
3. Support our campaign on social media…
- Follow us on social media and share our posts (see the icons at the top of the page).
- Watch our brand new animations and other videos on YouTube then share them with your friends and family.
- Use #WakeUpToLyme on social media to get us trending.
- Add the LDUK Wake Up to Lyme twibbon or Facebook frame to your Facebook and Twitter profile pictures.
Facebook:
- Visit this link
- Select ‘Add to Facebook’ and then select ‘Set As your Facebook Profile Picture’
- It will NOT automatically become your profile picture – you need to locate it in your Facebook photo section under ‘Your Photos’ then go to ‘Options’ and select ‘Make Profile Picture’
- If you prefer, you can add a Wake Up to Lyme frame to your Facebook profile picture. Select edit on your profile picture, select ‘Add frame’, search ‘Lyme’ and locate the Wake Up to Lyme frame.
Twitter:
- Visit this link
- Select ‘Add the Twibbon to Twitter’
4. Host your own awareness and/or fundraising event.
All events should adhere to current pandemic guidelines, and we’d encourage you to organise online events where possible. Get in touch or read our fundraising information if you need some advice.
Other ways to raise awareness during Lyme Disease Awareness Month
- Contact your local newspaper, radio or TV station and offer to share your story.
(Don’t forget to mention that May is Lyme Disease Awareness month and LDUK’s website address!) - Share our Awareness Packs for Schools and Children with local schools in your area.
- Do your own Lyme disease challenge! Much like the ‘Take a Bite out of Lyme’ challenge where participants are asked to take a bite of a lime wedge and share a selfie online, donating to charity, you could come up with your own challenge and maybe start a trend!
Thank you to all for helping us raise awareness with our Wake Up To Lyme Campaign!