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Dedicate four hours and help save lives

29.03.10

Businesses are being encouraged to donate four hours of their time to help save lives in April.

National charity Meningitis UK has launched its 4 Hour Challenge, asking would-be fundraisers to spend four hours raising money towards vital vaccine research.

It's hoped the event will provide a fun and fresh start to the financial year, allowing staff to step away from their spreadsheets.

All money raised will help fund cutting-edge research to develop a vaccine against Meningitis B, the most common strain of the disease in this country which kills hundreds of people each year.

Dedicating four hours during the fourth month of the year symbolises the fact that the deadly brain bug can kill in this short amount of time.

Kate Rowland, Head of Development at Meningitis UK, said: "This is a chance for people to get creative and come up with their own four hour idea, while getting together with friends, colleagues and relatives to have some fun.

"What you choose can be as challenging or as easy as possible, as long as it's to do with the number four and raises money for the charity.

"A few ideas that have been mentioned already include holding a raffle and charging £4 per row of tickets, holding a 4km fun-run, asking for donations for a four hour round of golf, and auctioning yourself - or even better your boss - for four hours."

Everyone can take part, including schools, nurseries, shops, pubs and businesses.

Meningitis is the biggest infectious killer of children under the age of five in the UK and six families a week lose a loved-one to the disease.

The charity will be celebrating the third anniversary of its Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign on Sunday, April 4 - the fourth day of the fourth month - and hopes the 4 Hour Challenge will help take it one step closer to the £7million target.

For more information about Meningitis UK or to register for the 4 Hour Challenge, please call Kate on 0117 373 7373 or visit www.meningitisUK.org/4hourchallenge