From baking and knitting, to running marathons and challenge events, our community fundraisers have found creative ways to support LSHTM’s life-saving work. Staff, alumni, members of the public and friends of LSHTM have raised funds by partaking in a range of activities and in doing so, contributed to research into debilitating illnesses, scholarships and travel grants for the next generation of public health professionals.
Many have helped generate excitement around a challenge, or bring people together for a cause they feel passionate about. By harnessing the strength of their community, LSHTM’s community fundraisers have achieved outstanding results.
Community fundraising is about communities coming together to support a cause they feel passionate about. It is what many people think of when they think of the term ‘fundraising’ and can take the form of group or individual events, bake sales, tea parties, quizzes and much more! The basis of community fundraising is that a community of people make donations, which when put together, make a significant impact.
In 2018, MSc Public Health alumnus Luis Guerra, and Epidemiologist and LSHTM scientist Dr Paul Mee ran the London Marathon, raising £3,000 for scholarships and the Steve Lawn Memorial Fund. Meanwhile, the Electronic Health Records Group at LSHTM cycled from London to Paris, raising over £20,000 for the Adrian Root Memorial Prize. The prize is awarded to outstanding students in the MSc Epidemiology programme each year.
In 2019, Jen, a friend of LSHTM, decided to run the London Marathon for her brother, Dave, who has ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome). ME is a long-term fluctuating, neurological condition that affects up to 250,000 people in the UK, and up to 17 million people worldwide. Jen wanted to run the London Marathon because for Dave, “every day is like running a marathon”. In honour of their childhood dream to run the London Marathon together, Jen raised over £3,000 to support CureME, home of the UK’s first ME Biobank, leading ground-breaking research into ME/CFS, based at LSHTM.
If you would like to support CureME’s vital work, you can make a gift via the donate button below.
Whether you’d like to host an event, shave your hair, grow a beard, run, walk, or ride your bike, we would love to hear from you. Your efforts can raise awareness and vital funding for major health challenges and life-changing research at LSHTM.
Please get in touch by emailing alumni@lshtm.ac.uk if you have an idea and would like to take on a challenge.