July really feels like the beginning of summer proper. In the UK, schools are winding down towards the end of the school year which signals the start of the long summer holiday. Tennis is being played at Wimbledon. England has already won three test matches against New Zealand (this is in cricket which is probably a mystery to our non-UK or cricket nation followers). Strawberries are abundantly available.
July is also the start of the new financial year for Myelopathy.org. This is a great time to reflect on what we have achieved over the past year as the only charity supporting people diagnosed with Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM).
2021-22 Highlights:
- On 1 July 2021, we employed our first member of staff – Zahabiya Karimi. She had been working as a consultant for us for a few months but by 1 July, we were in a strong enough position financially to be able to employ her.
- In November 2021 several supporters took part in our first challenge fundraising event – running the Cambridge Half-Marathon. They raised an incredible £15,000!
- The Support Group has continued to grow, providing much needed support and friendship for our DCM community. The virtual “Coffee with Esther” breaks have been a much-loved addition to our community’s calendar.
- In April 2022, we launched our new website and rebrand of Myelopathy.org. This fresh look and improved content has had such a positive impact on all our community – making it easier to access much needed information about DCM.
- Together with the launch of our new website we have introduced weekly blog posts which have included interviews with members of our DCM community, research news, updates on the Support Group and much more. If you have any ideas or would like to contribute, please email us.
- Myelopathy Matters, our much loved podcast series, has also returned in 2022.
- Myelopathy.org continues to support DCM research and is a partner in two NIHR funded research trials with Cambridge University.
- Myelopathy.org received a grant from the Evelyn Trust to create the first comprehensive education framework for people with DCM. This involves producing a series of checklists to ensure people with DCM and healthcare professionals cover critical concepts during key points of their journey.
Thank you all for your continued support and we look forward to all that 2022-23 brings for Myelopathy.org.
We will be taking a break during August and our blogs will return in September.
Have a wonderful summer.