25th February 2020
At the beginning of 2019 IRIS FMP decided that we would dedicate our fundraising efforts to a very important cause to us: Huntington’s Disease Association. Almost a year ago to the day we announced them as our Charity of the Year, and we committed ourselves to raising as much money as possible to support those living with this disease.
Huntington’s is an inherited, degenerative illness “caused by a faulty gene in your DNA…it affects your body’s nervous system…Huntington’s can cause changes with movement, learning, thinking and emotions. Once symptoms begin, the disease gradually progresses”.
Everyone at IRIS FMP threw themselves into fundraising immediately. We sold hundreds of cakes and samosas, we dressed up, we put our dogs in bandanas, we held quizzes, we cycled hundreds of miles from Paris to the UK, we attempted to break some World Records and we even put our colleagues in the stocks and threw eggs at them! We are therefore proud to announce that our grand total raised is…£20,669!
Joanne Dobbie, Head of Fundraising at Huntington’s Disease Association said:
“All of us at the Huntington’s Disease Association are blown away the tireless fundraising efforts of staff from IRIS FMP – from the Paris to Chichester cycle ride to office cake sales to your Guinness World Book of Records day. It has been inspiring to see your energy and enthusiasm in taking on all these fundraising events.
Thanks to the magnificent fundraising efforts of all at IRIS FMP, the fantastic total of £20,669 has been raised for the Huntington’s Disease Association. For a smaller organisation such as ours your donation makes a huge difference to our work and the support we can provide for people affected by Huntington’s disease. Examples of the vital support your final total of £20,669 could provide include:
- 855 hours of telephone support from our Specialist Huntington’s Advisory Service – we encourage people to talk to us whenever they need advice, are struggling to cope, or are in crisis; or
- 137 bursaries for young people to attend a conference to meet other young people affected by Huntington’s disease – Children & young people affected by Huntington’s disease are twice more likely to experience adverse childhood events before they are 16 than a child from a non-Huntington disease family. Children & young people have told us that by meeting other young people with similar experiences as them they gain a better understanding of the disease, feel less trapped and more in control of their future; or
- 59 welfare grants for people who are affected by Huntington’s disease – Our welfare grants scheme provides practical support for many people facing financial hardships due to living with Huntington’s disease, in the past we have provided white goods, wheelchairs and communication aids; or
- 248 face to face visits, providing direct support to individuals, families and carers – This helps people living with Huntington’s disease to get the best possible care and access all available services, wrapping the best package of care and support around their individual needs.
Thank you to everyone at IRIS FMP who has supported our work – whether you baked a cake, cycled over 350kms or ate a Terry’s Chocolate Orange really quickly – you are all World Record Breakers in our eyes!”
We are incredibly proud of our £20,669 total and equally proud of the community spirit everyone at IRIS FMP embraced throughout 2019 to raise this fantastic amount of money. We are looking forward to making a difference to more charities in 2020! Watch this space…
