Celebrating Our First Year as a Charity
On 21st March 2020, we mark the first year anniversary of our charity. We reflect with pride on what have we achieved so far.
Highlights of 2019-20
Lyme Resource Centre was established on 21st March 2019 to raise awareness and further understanding of all tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease.
We have prepared awareness leaflets, car stickers, an awareness presentation, and a page of GP resources specifically for Scotland.
We have started building an open easy-to-use research database of peer-reviewed papers on tick-borne diseases.
We have written a position paper to distribute to government and the NHS proposing a route forward for Scotland based on the model used in France, including more training and a specialist treatment centre.
We keep networking with those who can influence, including the media. You can still watch on iPlayer the documentary that we helped the BBC produce.
We run conferences aimed at furthering research and understanding. The 2019 conference was a great success. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, the 2020 conference has been postponed.
We attended and presented at a meeting in Liverpool in November 2019 run by Public Health England and the National Institute for Health Research. You can read the full report including a 20-page PDF.
We also contributed to a Scottish parliamentary petition submitted by Tick-borne Illness Campaign Scotland. Watch one of our trustees presenting to the Petitions Committee in 2017.
We have run an ongoing social media campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
We are already getting noticed in the media and having meetings with MSPs, government, and the NHS. However, we have so far failed in our attempts to get representation on NHS bodies, including the Health Protection Scotland tick-borne diseases sub-group.
Ways You Can Help
As we go forward, we still need help to get the message out that Lyme and tick-borne diseases are serious and need far greater action to alleviate suffering.
You can follow our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts to help spread information. This will form the main part of our efforts during the COVID-19 crisis.
We have leaflets and car stickers you could order and help distribute.
There are many ways to get involved, either by donating, fundraising, or providing expertise.
Can you help with fundraising? We need funds for more awareness, research, and treatment. We can't do fundraising in public places yet, but you could ask your local supermarket if you could collect donations at their entrance. We can provide collection buckets, and leaflets so you can raise awareness at the same time. Join the 'Lyme Resource Scotland - Fundraisers' Facebook group to come and help us.
We are having a Light Up for Lyme Campaign in May to get buildings lit green across Scotland. Why not help by getting your local council building lit green on 15-17th May?