Monday 25 September marks 10 years since the Meningitis Trust and Meningitis UK merged to create Meningitis Now.
Although under a new banner, our goals remain the same as those pioneering charities which laid the foundations of research, awareness and support that are still central to our work today.
Over the course of this exciting 10th year, we will be bringing you 10 blogs that will highlight our achievements so far, our aspirations for the future, and the impact we continue to have.
Time to celebrate
In the 10 remarkable years since the merger, we have achieved incredible things, such as:
- Influencing the decision to have the MenB vaccine included in the NHS’s vaccination schedule for infants – leading to a 75% reduction in cases in young children.
- Introducing the Believe & Achieve programme for 14–25-year-olds which changes lives every day.
- Raising vital awareness of the ongoing risk of meningitis to adults with our Adults Get it Too campaign.
We will take the opportunity to celebrate our work as a centre of expertise for aftercare and support, including our Community Support Officers, our nurse-led Helpline, and our Rebuilding Futures Fund. And we’ll continue to highlight the vital research and life-saving awareness raising we do to ensure the next 10 years are as successful as the last.
Taking stock
As exciting as it is to look to the future, we also want to take stock of how Meningitis Now continues to make a difference to people’s lives every day.
If you have a special memory, or a reflection, from the last ten years of Meningitis Now – whether it was from 2013 or yesterday, - we would love to hear about it.
Please share your memories on the Facebook or Instagram posts about our 10th anniversary, or email us at info@meningitisnow.org.
10 for 10
Keep an eye out on our platforms which will be peppered with ideas of how you could help us to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Whether by fundraising or awareness raising (or both) you can help us make this year one to remember.
Here are some TENtative suggestions, even if they do seem a little TENuous!
- Run 10k
- 10 hours of awareness raising
- 10th anniversary tea party
- 10,000 steps for 10 days
Meningitis Now CEO Dr Tom Nutt says, “We’ve made incredible progress over the last ten years, most especially in the introduction of the MenB and MenACWY vaccines which continue the long-term trend of a reduction in the number of cases of meningitis in the UK.
“But with cases on ongoing, including a concerning rise in case numbers amongst students and adults since the Covid-19 pandemic, our commitment to raising awareness of the disease and to ensuring we provide life-changing support to anyone affected by meningitis remains stronger than ever.
“The next 10 years will be critical. We will continue our investment in life-saving research, awareness-raising, and our unique and impactful support. With the support of the Meningitis Now family, we can beat the devastation of this terrible disease.”
