There are currently (now 2) places still available to run for Invest in ME Research in the London Royal Parks Half Marathon on Sunday 13 October 2019. The charity has 12 places in total and 9 people are already signed up for the team, so if you know anyone who might like to join Team IiMER for this event please let them know of this opportunity – details here.
Contact Details for IiMER
Invest in ME Research Charity Nr. 1153730
Address: PO Box 561 Eastleigh Hampshire SO50 0GQ
Phone: 02380 643736 / 07759 349743
Email: info@investinme.org
This will be another great opportunity for the charity to raise awareness of its strategy of funding high-quality biomedical research and the development of a UK/European Centre of Excellence for ME – and raise awareness of the need for biomedical research into this disease.
This Royal Parks Half Marathon route winds through four Royal Parks (Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St James’s Park and The Green Park) in all their autumnal splendour.
There are 16000 runners in the marathon.
The course is 13.1 miles (21 km) long.
The route takes in the capital’s world-famous landmarks on closed roads, and four of London’s eight Royal Parks – Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens.
Thanking You on 8 Years of the Let’s Do It for ME Campaign
Reposted from08/08/2019 Invest in ME Research newsletter. Click here for their latest and past issues or to join the mailing list to receive the charity’s free e-newsletters by email.
Invest in ME Research has been highlighting the development of a Centre of Excellence for ME and its opportunities for some years. We are pleased that the work the charity has put in to form the foundations of research has progressed slowly but surely thanks to our supporters who believed in our strategy and supported our plans. More and more are gradually becoming aware of the foundations that have been laid to make sustainable progress in research and treatment of ME.
Quote by Thomas Carlyle
There are many areas of life where unsung heroes make sacrifices in order to make progress – never desiring recognition or fame or glory for themselves – but just trying to make a difference.
Let’s Do It for ME (LDIFME) is an awareness and fundraising campaign launched in July 2011 by severely ill housebound or bedbound patients. The team met on Facebook and wanted to do something positive and practical to support the proposal by Invest in ME Research to establish a Centre of Excellence for ME based at Norwich Research Park and working in collaboration with other researchers in UK and internationally.
LDIFME have recently celebrated their eighth year and we wished to acknowledge their efforts and achievements – these selfless, unsung heroes who are and have been a credit to people with ME and their families and carers.
The LDIFME team has composed a summary of some of the work performed and the achievements realised over the last eight years.
We wish to thank the LDIFME team and all the supporters of every campaign, every fundraiser, every letter of support, every contribution made to this great grassroots movement- which has made so many innovations over the years to make progress in research, treatment and perception of ME.
Because of their efforts we now have a real possibility to make progress and it is right before us, having already established the following -.
Thank you LDIFME and our supporters for your wonderful efforts.
A UK/European hub for biomedical research into ME
A clinical trial which will raise the profile of ME and achieve scientific objectives
A GP fellowship to educate GPs and create champions in clinical care for people with ME,
PhD students introduced to research
Medical students involved in research
High-quality biomedical research from top researchers in the leading European research park, complete with university and university hospital,
European collaboration
A European ME Clinicians group established and working
A European ME Researchers group forming
International research Colloquiums bringing researchers together.
International ME Conferences that allow researchers, clinicians, patient groups and carers to interact and network.
All this achieved by IiMER, LDIFME and our supporters ……. it is already there, just needing funding to maintain.
To support medical education and wider awareness, please inform your doctor and anyone you think needs to know about current biomedical research and healthcare. At least then they will be informed even if they can’t attend and they can also watch the CPD-accredited conference presentations online.
Medical Doctor commenting on Invest in ME Research Conference
Conference Day (30 May 2020) is open to anyone interested; patients able to attend, carers, healthcare and other public service professionals, political representatives, journalists etc.
This is by pre-paid ticket only (not on the door on the day) and the price is heavily subsidised by the charity. The conference attracts delegates from four continents and from over 20 countries.
There are sponsorship opportunities.
Lunch at 14th Invest in ME Research Conference May 2019
Rest assured, IiMER Bear ensures events go to plan!
Thinking the Future (27 May 2020) and the Biomedical Research into ME Colloquium (28-29 May 2020) are closed meetings for the researchers, but it may help any professionals involved in your or your child’s care, your MP as well as family and carers, to be aware that ME science is progressing and consequently informing medical education with productive international collaboration. These events have now established a core working group of researchers and facilitated many new collaborations – which was the intention of the meetings.
Professor Ron Davis 14th Invest in ME Research Conference May 2019
The networking that continues at the Invest in ME Research conferences allows other developments to occur long after the conference itself has finished – not just in the UK but also in other countries.
A recent example is the second Thinking The Future conference for early career researchers held April 2019 by NIH in Washington and organised by Dr. Vicky Whittemore and Dr. Andrew Breeden in collaboration with Invest in ME Research, following from the first Thinking the Future in London May 2018.
Today in #Washington@NIH will hold the 2nd THINKING the FUTURE for ME conference for young/ecr researchers
There is also a pre-conference evening dinner with presentation.
At @Invest_in_ME, speaking to the closing dinner following #BRMEC9, former Labour MP Dr. Ian Gibson asks "What is to be done?" … Suggests closing the House of Lords… I love this meeting ha ha pic.twitter.com/0OYfBEqG6x
— Michael VanElzakker (@MBVanElzakker) May 31, 2019
2019 is the first year that Invest in ME Research posted the conference presentations (and pre-conference dinner speech) online instead of DVD. You can find them all here along with the Conference Report.
Even a live Second World War grenade couldn’t stop us!
On Sunday the 28th of July we began our quest to conquer a 25 mile kayak to raise money for Invest In ME Research. This journey consisted of a very early start, a late end to our tiring day and a shed load of rain in between. We started at Little Haywood, near Rugeley with our team of many supportive helpers including one in a kayak too, who without them it wouldn’t have been possible. Our planned route was to follow the Trent & Mersey canal from here through 14 locks and all the way to Willington in Derbyshire 25 miles by canal.
After an hour and a half of non-stop rain Georgina began to feel the cold and we decided it would be the right decision to stop at the next lock to collect a vital and necessary dry jumper. Another hour or so passed and we were nearing Fradley where we knew we would be provided with hot food and supportive friends and family.
After lunch we knew there was a long way to go but our friend’s banner gave us a helping boost of perseverance. The next 10 miles were rather tough, as we knew we still had a long way to go. As we neared Shobnall Marina we were instructed by police to leave the water as a live grenade had been discovered in the canal by a magnet fisherman. The canal was full of boats as it had been shut for sometime and soon the bomb disposal team were also in attendance! We decided the only option was to walk with the 3 kayaks along the main road to get back to the canal. But thankfully before we reached the road a kind family let us through their garden to get to the canal quicker.
When we approached the last 4 miles of our trek it was encouraging to see many family members reminding us we could do it. However as time passed it became gradually harder as it was getting later and we were getting more tired.
We finally reached our destination where we were greeted by familiar faces and lots of support. We both were exhausted, proud and ready for a hot drink. We had completed 26.3 miles in total with an average speed of 2.7 mph. Everyone there was very supportive and donated generously. We would like to thank everyone who helped, donated and supported us as this is such an important yet small charity. https://www.wonderful.org/fundraiser/endurancekayaking-49b77049
A huge well done and thank you to Phoebe and Georgina and everyone supporting and cheering on these two stars, undaunted by an unexploded grenade! The girls did a lot of training to lead up to this grueling challenge. They wrote on their fundraising page,
“We are two total novice 13 year olds taking on a huge challenge to kayak 25 miles in order to raise vital funds for biomedical research into ME. We are doing this after Georgina’s sister was hit with this horrid illness age just 14 and became very poorly. ME is a multi- system disease affecting not only the neurological system but also the immune , muscularskeletal, endocrine and cardio vascular. Its life changing in short with a quality of life generally worse than a person with end stage cancer.”
The girls have raised over £2,200 including Gift Aid thanks to their Wonderful sponsors! Wonderful is a fee-free fundraising platform so every penny donated will be spent on vitally-needed biomedical ME research: https://www.wonderful.org/fundraiser/endurancekayaking-49b77049
Thank you Phoebe and Georgina for doing a Kayak for ME!
Thank you for supporting Invest in ME Research!
P.S. To our blog subscribers, apologies that you did not receive our last blog by email, marking 8 Years Doing It for ME!
