The MPN Voice Fundraising Team would like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who took part in fundraising events and made donations in 2022, and to all your amazing supporters for their generosity. We were delighted that 2022 saw the return to some amazing fundraising events, as we, with caution, started to return to near normality following the Covid lockdowns.
Every year we are amazed by the variety of challenges and fundraising events that you all take part in, and you didn’t disappoint us this year with these fabulous challenges:
Camino de Santiago walk : Anglesey walk, swim & cycle : English Channel swim to France & back in a swimming pool : Monumental Choir Concert : Leeds Marathon : An evening of clairvoyance : Cumberwell Park Seniors’ Golf event : Mt Snowdon trek : Peak District Ultra Challenge : Walk from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay : Next Stores Managers’ Marathon : Skydives : 10K a day in May : Edinburgh ½ Marathon : Great Birmingham Run : TCS London Marathon : Walk from Accrington to Blackpool : MOSAICC Team fundraising walk : Month to Move challenge : Raise the Roof Concert in Cambridge : The GSTT Abseil : Wear it Red Days : Yoga every day in Sep
We launched our first global challenge with “walk to support” held during the September Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and had participants in the US, Australia, Europe as well as the UK. We wanted this to be as inclusive and as easy to take part as possible, participants chose a distance to walk – 5km, 10km or 20km – in a location of their choice, and could be done in one go or spread over a week, and we encouraged walkers to walk with a pet of their choice, as well as with friends and family or alone. We are so grateful to all those who took part and made the event such a great success. We look forward to repeating this next year, so if you missed out in 2022 there is always 2023!
You have not only continued to raise awareness about MPNs, MPN Voice and the work we do to support our MPN Voice Community, you have also raised much needed funds to help us continue our commitment to support many research projects, which includes: the MASCOT study, which is a registry and coagulation based study for MPN patients with a large clot affecting their liver; MITHRIDATE which is a first line study for 596 patients with PV; and MOSAICC which is a large epidemiology study following on from the successful pilot. We also funded research into COVID vaccination which was the first in the world to demonstrate MPN patients can form natural immunity to COVID and to demonstrate vaccine responses as well as the 1000 patient survey on vaccine outcomes, you can read the report here. In 2023 we are looking to support further research, bring news of new research and a revamp of our research pages on our website.
The MPN Voice Recipe Book
Following a request to produce a book on healthy eating and lifestyle from one of our young patients we engaged with you, our wonderful MPN Community for help in providing your favourite recipes, and the nutritionists at Guy’s Hospital gave a very thorough overview of all the recipes.
We also had a wonderful poem written by one of our members, plus patient stories and contributions from Professor Claire Harrison and Professor Ruben Mesa. All this information and more was pulled together by our very own social media guru, Mark Taylor, into a printable book format.
This book is not a celebrity cookbook – it is a support tool that has been put together by the MPN Community for the MPN Community. We are delighted to let you know this is now available to purchase on Amazon https://amzn.eu/d/d7nZjZg
All funds raised from the sales of this book will support the ongoing work undertaken by MPN Voice. It would make a fabulous Christmas present!
Please note: We are aware that there is a problem with supply to Ireland via Amazon which is beyond our control, if anyone in Ireland would like to purchase a copy please email fundraising@mpnvoice.org.uk for more information.
We finish the year with 2 brothers swimming the English Channel to France and back in their local swimming pool and we have a number of runners training hard for the 2023 TCS London Marathon and Marathons in Brighton and Manchester. We also have a patient doing an international IronMan in Brazil!
We look forward to events in 2023 where we will have a combination of virtual and live participation, we will help you organize any event you would like to do, please contact us at fundraising@mpnvoice.org.uk. We will continue to showcase the many wonderful fundraising challenges on the MPN Voice Facebook and Instagram pages, and keep you updated on future fundraising events.
Thank you so much for your wonderful support throughout 2022, it has been so inspiring to see your achievements. YOU ARE AMAZING.
Please may we take this opportunity on behalf of the MPN Voice Fundraising Team to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy 2023.