National PSP Awareness Week
From 12th-15th April 2008, the first ever National PSP Awareness Week takes place. During this week The PSP Association is launching 'Afternoon Tea for PSP'. Our vision is to have people around the country drinking Tea for Treatment and Coffee for Care to raise awareness and funds to support people with PSP across the UK, their carers and families.
The PSP Association hopes that 10,000 Tea Parties will be held during, or around, National PSP Awareness Week - one party for every person who has been diagnosed with PSP in the UK.
National PSP Awareness Week incorporates the 8th April, which is the traditional date of The PSP Association's annual Magnolia Day. We hope that on this day, or during or around National PSP Awareness Week, people will organise their own 'Afternoon Tea for PSP'. By organising a Bring and Buy Sale, Cake Stall or other fundraising initiative, each Tea Party will help fund more research into Treatment or provide more Care for people with PSP.
Help us achieve our target of 10,000 Tea Parties by holding a small, medium or large Tea Party with your family and friends.
It's not too late to take part. To obtain your full Tea Party Pack full of information and ideas for holding your own Tea Party, please call 01327 322410 or email marilyn.osborne@pspeur.org quoting 'Tea Party Pack.'
Parts of the Pack can be downloaded from the list below:
To make a donation to The PSP Association please click here, or telephone 01327 322417.
Falcon Press litho and digital colour printers are pleased to support The PSP Association and have donated the design of the new magnolia logo. For more information please visit www.falconpress.co.uk
Inaugural 'Afternoon Tea for PSP'
Awareness of PSP
Raising awareness of PSP, amongst the medical profession, the government and the general public at large, remains the top priority for The PSP Association. PSP is not only at least as common, but can be at least as severe in effect as its ‘cousin’ Motor Neurone Disease, and yet most people have heard or read about the latter whilst PSP still remains relatively unknown, often tucked away in the shadow of Parkinson’s Disease despite being clinically, biologically and pathologically distinct and different.
Dudley Moore
Awareness of PSP amongst the public at large was raised dramatically in 1999 with the courageous announcement by Dudley Moore that he had PSP, and his untimely death from the disease in 2002. The diagnosis, in the USA , of this British born actor and musician with PSP sharply raised the profile of this disease.
In 2004, as part of The PSP Association’s 10th Anniversary Year, a concert in memory of Dudley Moore was held at Leighton House in London. A second concert in celebration of the life of Dudley Moore was held at St. Mary and St. Nicholas Church, Wilton, near Salisbury on 24th September 2007.
Lord (Seb) Coe
In 2004 former athlete and Olympic gold medallist Sebastian Coe’s mother was diagnosed with PSP. Despite his heavy workload, including the London Olympic bid, Lord Coe agreed to chair our Major Fundraising Appeals Committee and became Vice President of The PSP Association. He is playing a key role in raising awareness of this disease in the UK.
All Party Parliamentary Group
The PSP Association All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) was established under the chairmanship of Tim Boswell MP, within whose constituency The PSP Association is located. The APPG has Frank Dobson MP and Lord Coe as Vice Chairmen, and sufficient numbers within parliament to support issues of concern to The PSP Association, for example the issue of Continuing Care for people with long term medical conditions. The APPG plays a key role in helping to raise awareness of PSP and the work of The PSP Association amongst politicians and decision makers.
Magnolia Day
The PSP Association’s annual Magnolia Day is on April 8th. This was the date of founder of The PSP Association Sara Koe’s memorial service after her death early in 1995, and became known as Magnolia Day as the magnolia was her favourite flower. The magnolia has since become the emblem of The PSP Association.
Traditionally each year, the week around April 8th becomes PSP Awareness Week. The aim is to spread awareness of PSP and the work of the Association to as many people as possible and many supporters organise fundraising events in their local community to help them do this. These have ranged from coffee mornings and quizzes to raffles and musical events.
For more information about PSP Awareness Week and ways in which you could help raise awareness in your area, contact Marilyn Osborne or telephone 01327 322418.
10th Anniversary
2004 marked the 10th Anniversary of The PSP Association. In this special year one of our key aims was to further raise awareness of PSP and the work of the Association across the UK. We organised a number of additional events during the year, we were chosen as the prestigious October Club’s Charity of the Year and encouraged our subscribers and supporters to help with awareness and fundraising within their own areas. The response was overwhelming and resulted in increased media coverage across the UK and over half a million pounds of additional funding for our charity.
