01 Nov Exciting doubled donations appeal for local charity Lepra ends with over £73,000!
From the 16th of September until the 28th of October, Lepra ran a successful £1 from you, we get two appeal which saw the first £34,000 of the public donations being doubled.
The campaign was a huge success, supported by the generosity of the public and we raised a total of £73,000.
This year, our appeal focused on our Mental Motivator’s pilot project, launched in Bangladesh in May 2019. We have trained 30 people from four districts in Bangladesh to provide basic mental health support for those affected by leprosy.
Mental Motivators are designed to improve the mental wellbeing and social interaction of those affected by leprosy or lymphatic filariaisis.
They act as counsellors, providing care and support and also act as ‘signposts’ so that those suffering may seek more intensive treatment or linking group members to training, employment and social opportunities.
With more than half of people with newly diagnosed cases of leprosy and lymphatic filariasis (LF) developing anxiety or depression, our Mental Motivators project provides an important service to improve the mental health and quality of life of up to 10,000 families.
The money raised throughout this campaign will help us continue our vital, lifesaving work in India, Bangladesh, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Stuart Miles, former Blue Peter presenter and Lepra Ambassador says, “Mental health is a serious issue across the world, but especially in somewhere like Bangladesh where it is not widely spoken about and there are no support systems in place.
The work Lepra is doing to support people with mental health issues, related to their leprosy or lymphatic filariasis diagnosis has already changed the lives of many people. Thanks to the public, we will be able to continue this work.”
