May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, which means we’re launching our annual Wake Up To Lyme campaign! Following the lifting of Covid restrictions, this year we’re excited to be running the campaign both online and offline for the first time in three years!
Our campaign aims to raise awareness on how to prevent tick bites, how to safely remove ticks and the importance of early treatment for people who become unwell following a bite. We have four videos to help us with this, including the one below which highlights the importance of being aware of tick bites and prevention techniques.
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 awareness packs 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. They could also watch our video on the diagnosis, testing and treatment of Lyme disease.
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 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 Wake Up To Lyme twibbon to your profile photo on Twitter by visiting this link and selecting ‘Add the Twibbon to Twitter’
4. Host your own awareness and/or fundraising event.
If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to fundraise, why not take part in our WoW Challenge? Walk 20km or wheel 100km and raise much-needed funds for LDUK to support patients and their loved ones!
Want to fundraise another way? Visit our fundraising ideas page for a big A-Z! Please get in touch via email if you need any further advice or help setting up a fundraiser.
5. Take part in Light Up For Lyme . . .
Help shine a light on Lyme disease by contacting your local landmarks and asking if they will light up in green during May for Lyme Disease Awareness Month! This can be any sort of landmark that has the capacity to light up and can be towers, bridges, fountains, sporting stadiums, etc!
Back in 2019 we had 18 venues light up for Lyme including the Spinnaker Tower and Blackpool Tower! You can find further details on our Light up for Lyme post, including a letter template to contact your local landmarks.
6. Raise funds for LDUK by purchasing tick repellent from our campaign partner, Botanic Protect
Botanic Protect is a naturally derived tick repellent which is suitable for all the family (including babies from 6 months old). It is DEET-free, biodegradable and manufactured in the UK. We are delighted to be working together with Botanic Protect to prevent tick bites and raise awareness of Lyme disease across the UK.
Botanic Protect is available to purchase online and they will generously donate 50p of each repellent sale towards Lyme Disease UK at no extra cost to you! Apply discount code ‘LDUK’ at checkout and you will also receive 10% off Botanic Protect tick repellent until 1st October 2022.
Orders placed through the website can only be processed to mainland UK, mainland Scotland and the Scottish Borders. If you live outside of these areas within the UK, please email sales@botanicprotect.co.uk and the order will be processed manually. Please use insect repellents carefully and always read the label and product information before use.
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!) - Wear lime for Lyme during Awareness Month! Purchase our lime green lapel pins and LDUK t-shirts and then take photos to share on social media using the hashtag #WakeUpToLyme
- 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 online!
Thank you to all for helping us raise awareness with our Wake Up To Lyme Campaign!