What a brilliant year 2021 has been for LDUK!
Our free awareness talks for outdoors organisations went online and received a record uptake, and we also reignited our seminars and Q&A’s with leading Lyme disease practitioners! Our annual awareness campaign saw us create new awareness animations. There were also many fundraisers, and we raised awareness at key events such as medical conferences.
Here are some more highlights, and you can find a full list of items in our news section:
April
- In the run-up to Lyme Disease Awareness Month, we unveiled our new look! We were proud to introduce new branding, including a new charity logo and website makeover.
- We launched three new Wake Up To Lyme campaign videos, which included: ‘Living With Late Lyme Disease’, ‘Key Points On Diagnosis, Testing & Treatment’, and ‘Patient Perspectives On Living With Late Lyme Disease’. You can read about why we decided to commission these videos here.
May
- We organised our annual Wake Up To Lyme awareness campaign during the month of May, which ran online again due to the ongoing pandemic. The LDUK team and our community members appeared on radio stations such as Heart Radio and Manx Radio. Thanks to our supporters sharing our posts online, our campaign reached around 300,000 people. We also had fun during our Wear Lime For Lyme pet photography competition. Community members purchased our lime green bow ties for their pets, and a prize was awarded to the best photographer.
- LDUK patient ambassador and chef, Kirk Haworth, appeared on the the BBC’s Great British Menu, raising awareness of Lyme disease and acting as an inspiration to all sufferers.
June
- LDUK supporter, Jim Salter, completed a 30-day geocaching challenge in memory of his late wife, Jas Matthews, who was a much-loved member of our Online Community. Jas very sadly passed away from Lyme disease in 2017. Jim found an incredible 1003 caches and walked 250 miles, raising more than £400 for us.
July
- We launched our first official fundraising initiative: The WoW Challenge. Our fundraiser invited participants to walk 20km, or wheel their way to 100km! Participants during 2021 included George and Annie Fearnley, Natasha Metcalf, Ann Gregson and John Knight! Between them, they raised more than £2,000!
- Nick Clarke completed a Half Iron Man in 9 hours and 5 minutes, raising £700 for us! Nick took part in support of his wife, Sophie, who lives with Lyme disease. You can read Nick and Sophie’s story here.
- Our Press and Community Outreach Manager, Julia Knight, raised awareness amongst members of the general public at the annual Bushcraft Show.
August
- Rothley Park Golf Club set a new World Record by completing 18 holes in the fastest time, and organised a bike ride and various raffle events. In total, they raised a whopping £14,515, which is our highest ever donation from a single source!
September
- Team LDUK completed the Great North Run, raising a total of £2,707! Our runners, Tom and Jim Squires, Jeff and Louis McCarthy, and Gareth Hill said it was an amazing experience, and worth the wait after last year’s run was cancelled due to the pandemic.
October
- We were thrilled to land two exceptional awareness-raising opportunities at medical conferences: The Best Practice Show and the RCGP Annual Conference. You can view the slides and awareness materials we displayed here.
December
- Sarah Heyworth was crowned the winner of our Christmas card design competition. Her beautifully crafted robin ensured that our cards sold out in no time, and raised vital awareness and funds!