1

ourimpact2011

2

Foreword 3

Whywe’rehereandwhatwedo 4

Oursixgoals 6

Ouryearinnumbers 8

Ourimpactin2011

Join us 10

Change attitudes 16

Find a cure 22

Howwefundourvitalwork 28

Ourplansfor2012 32

Thankyou 34

Contents

3

Helloandwelcometoour2011impactreport.

I was told I had young-onset Parkinson’s two and a half years ago – five days before my 47th birthday. It was a huge shock. The only relief was that Parkinson’s is a long-term condition, so at least I would be around while my children grew up.

My specialist wrote down the web address of Parkinson’s UK and as soon as I got home I was on the website researching the condition and finding out about local groups for younger people. I badly needed reassurance that I wasn’t alone and through Parkinson’s UK it wasn’t long before I got to meet other people with young-onset Parkinson’s.

My specialist also spoke to me about improvements in drug treatments and the possibility of a cure in the not-too-

distant future. At the time none of this sunk in, but now the hope of progress really matters to me.

Parkinson’s UK is committed to funding research into finding better treatments, and, ultimately, a permanent cure for Parkinson’s. This is crucial to me as a parent with young children.

A year ago, I volunteered to join the Policy Panel at Parkinson’s UK to help set out the charity’s position on key issues that have an impact on people with Parkinson’s. High on my agenda are prescription charges and changes to Disability Living Allowance, which is a benefit that a lot of people with Parkinson’s rely on. Parkinson’s UK really helps ensure that our voices are heard collectively by UK governments, so we can get the best deal possible.

The charity is also committed to providing training and education to doctors, nurses and their own staff. This is vital, so people with Parkinson’s can get the right care and information in the right way for them.

None of the charity’s work would be possible without the support of thousands of individuals, groups and organisations. For this, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you.

Jo Collinge

Foreword

4

Imaginewhatlifewouldbelikeifyourbrainwantedtosendyourbodyamessage,butitcouldn’tputtherightonetogether.Ifyouwantedtospeak–butyoucouldn’tgetthewordsout.Ifyouwantedtowalk–butyourlegswerefixedtothespot.

People get Parkinson’s because some of the nerve cells in their brains that produce a chemical called dopamine have died. Lack of dopamine means that people can have great difficulty controlling movement.

People with Parkinson’s can have a tremor or stiffness that makes it frustrating or impossible to do everyday things, such as smiling, eating, getting dressed, driving, or even picking up and playing with their kids.

why we’re here and what we do

And Parkinson’s doesn’t just affect movement. Things like pain, depression, and memory and continence problems have a huge impact on the day-to-day lives of people with the condition.

To make life even more challenging, everyone’s Parkinson’s is different. And symptoms can change from day to day and even hour to hour.

Approximately one person in every 500 has Parkinson’s, that’s around 127,000 people in the UK. And every hour, someone in the UK is told they have the condition.

Parkinson’s gets worse over time and while treatments and medication are available that can help manage the symptoms, there is currently no cure.

What is Parkinson’s?

5

Our missionTherearefivekeyelementsofourworkforpeopleaffectedbyParkinson’s:

ResearchWe fund groundbreaking research to advance understanding of Parkinson’s and improve treatments. We’ll overcome the symptoms and find a cure.

InformationWe provide information and training on every aspect of Parkinson’s.

FriendshipandsupportWe offer friendship and support to everyone living with Parkinson’s, their families and carers.

CampaigningWe raise awareness, change perceptions and demand better services.

FundraisingOur work is dependent on voluntary donations. We inspire people to support us.

Our vision

To find a cure, and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson’s.

6

We have set ourselves an ambitious five-year strategy with six clear goals:

Goal1No one will have to face Parkinson’s alone.

Goal2We will listen and respond to the needs of everyone affected by Parkinson’s.

Goal3We will improve life for everyone living with Parkinson’s.

Goal4Our leadership in research will have resulted in better treatments and progress towards a cure.

Goal5We will raise more than £110million to meet the costs of delivering our ambitious plans.

Goal6We will be a united, focused and effective organisation.

2011 was the second year in our five-year strategy. In 2011 we focused on increasing the profile of Parkinson’s and the charity.

More people than ever before took up our offer of information and support. We engaged more health and social care professionals, working with them to improve services. And we provided leadership to the research community, driving forward progress towards a cure.

We also improved the way we work as a charity. We worked hard to ensure that the voices of people affected by Parkinson’s shape everything that we do, actively seeking out feedback to improve all our services.

We were very encouraged to see our progress recognised when we were made the Charity Times’ Charity of the Year in 2011. But there’s so much more to do and we have ambitious plans for the future. We need to grow our income by more than 10% every year. It was encouraging that in 2011, as in 2010, we exceeded our income targets, but we need your support to continue to grow and make sure no one has to face Parkinson’s alone.

Together we can find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson’s.

our six goals

7

88

£1=£5For every £1 we invested in research, our researchers gained an extra £4 from other sources.

1.1 mILLIONtw

itte

rWe had more than 1.1 million visits to our website in 2011 – the highest number of visits we’ve ever had.

We

have

mor

e th

an

6,00

0 pe

ople

follo

win

g

us o

n Tw

itter

–

@pa

rkin

sons

uk

said our information and support worker service made a positive difference to their lives.

5,30

0 Our expert helpline nurses answered more than 5,300 medical enquiries from people with Parkinson’s, carers and professionals – an 18% increase on 2010.

£96,000

£24mWe granted £96,000 to 134 people through our Mali Jenkins Fund to pay for equipment, adaptations and respite breaks to improve quality of life.

We spent almost £24million on all our work – improving life for people affected by Parkinson’s and making progress towards finding a cure.

90%

our year in numbers

99

96%rated our helpline as good or excellent.

Tens of thousandsof individuals, groups and organisations across the UK supported us through fundraising events, by making donations and volunteering their time.

£9m

93% 93%

of people affected by Parkinson’s rate our information resources as useful or very useful.

Clinical studiesIn 2011 we supported 24 clinical studies in the UK that people with Parkinson’s could take part in.

Our information and support workers helped people claim more than £9million in benefits.

of G

P pr

actic

es w

e’ve

trai

ned

said

they

’d b

enefi

tted

as

a re

sult

of o

ur tr

aini

ng.

780

peop

le a

ffect

ed b

y Pa

rkin

son’

s us

ed

our o

nlin

e fo

rum

in

2011

to sh

are

thei

r ex

perie

nces

and

su

ppor

t one

ano

ther

.

our year in numbers

join usToo many people tell us that when they were diagnosed nobody gave them the

information and support they needed. We have to change that so no one has to face

Parkinson’s alone. We have to reach out to everyone affected by the condition, so they

know we’re here and can access our support and information services.

10

My wife and I go to our local group – Merton Branch – in south London. It’s very good and there’s always something to do. At the last meeting we had a pampering evening. It was great to have a treat! We both had a massage and my wife had her nails done.

Every meeting is different and we have a lot of outings. In the autumn we went to Kew Gardens and at Christmas we went for a meal at a local restaurant. It’s good to get out and mix with people.

It’s really useful to meet other people with Parkinson’s. We share ideas and give each other tips. The group are very good at supporting you – whether you’re younger or older.

I also go dancing with some people from the group. I love it as it helps my Parkinson’s a lot. And I think it’s important to enjoy yourself!

I’d encourage everyone with Parkinson’s to join a Parkinson’s UK local group – it makes a big difference to your life. People should just go along and see what their local group does. You’ll always be made to feel right at home.

Parkinson’s UK also sends us The Parkinson magazine and information leaflets. I find this very helpful. I go through everything and get all the useful contacts. It’s also good to read about other people’s stories – so you know you’re not the only person who has a certain symptom.

Ben

• On average, it costs a Parkinson’s UK local group around £8,000 to run their activity calendar, offering friendship and support to local people affected by Parkinson’s.

‘‘

‘‘

11

12

ImprovingliveslocallyPeople with Parkinson’s need locally based support. Our UK-wide team of information and support workers provide information and help people to access local services and benefits they’re entitled to.

In 2011, the team answered more than 42,300 enquiries and provided in-depth support to 8,400 people who were new to the service. 90% of users said our information and support service had made a positive difference to their lives. We also held 480 information events across the UK, signposting more than 26,000 people to relevant local services.

Meetingmyinformationandsupportworkerchangedmylife.TheyprovidedmewithalotofinformationandhelpedmegetAttendanceAllowance.Theyalsoarrangedavisitfromanexceptionallyhelpfuloccupationaltherapist,whoorganisedgettingmeabathchairliftandeasychair.Allthesethingsmakelifesomucheasier.

Victor, person with Parkinson’s

‘‘

‘‘

13

‘‘

FriendshipandmutualsupportPeople with Parkinson’s, their families and carers have a wealth of experience to offer to others affected by the condition.

In 2011, nearly 27,000 people were supported by the Parkinson’s community, through our UK-wide network of volunteer-run local groups. Our groups offer people the chance to get involved in social and therapeutic activities – everything from dance and art therapy to day trips and evenings out.

We also developed innovative ways for people affected by the condition to support one another, for example through our new telephone peer support service.

MyParkinson’snurseputmeintouchwithmylocalParkinson’sUKgroup.ThroughthemI’vebeenabletomeetlotsofpeoplewho’vebeenabletohelpandsupportme.I’vebecomeveryinvolvedwithParkinson’sUKandIamtheyoung-onsetrepresentativeforourgroup.

Karen, person with Parkinson’s

‘‘

14

ExpertinformationOur free, confidential helpline service ensures that information and support is only a call or email away. In 2011, our helpline answered questions and provided a listening ear to more than 21,000 people. And 96% rated the service as good or excellent.

People affected by Parkinson’s need good quality, accessible information so they can learn more about their condition and choose the right care. In 2011, our information reached more people than ever – we sent out just under 800,000 information booklets, leaflets and DVDs, an 18% increase on 2010. Our resources were rated as useful or very useful by 93% of users.

People can reach us 24 hours a day through our website and in 2011 we had more than one million visits to the site. We also reached out to new audiences through Facebook and Twitter, more than doubling the number of people joining our pages from 2010.

TheParkinson’sUKhelplinenursesexplaineverythingsimplyandlogically,andreassuremethatmysymptomsare‘normal’(whatever‘normal’iswithParkinson’s!).Ifyouhaven’tgotaccesstoaParkinson’snurse,neverfeelshyorafraidtocontactthehelpline.Honestly,theyarereal,humanand‘asitsaysonthetin’,arealhelpline.

David, person with Parkinson’s

‘‘

‘‘

15

DoingittogetherWe are a movement of people affected by Parkinson’s. The charity grew by more than 1,600 members in 2011 – so we have 35,500 people working together to find a cure and improve life for everyone living with Parkinson’s.

People with Parkinson’s influence everything we do. From informing our policies to sitting on our recruitment panels, from helping develop our information resources to shaping our research through the Research Support Network – their voice is powerful. And hundreds of people speak out in press and campaigns work. We also have an army of volunteers making a huge difference to people’s lives locally – for example by running local groups or educating health professionals.

In 2011 we recorded 1,600 pieces of feedback that helped shape our work. We held 15 events across the UK and a weekend for younger people, to enable people affected by Parkinson’s to share ideas and define our priorities.

OurNorthernIreland‘Together’eventwasreallyimportanttousasmembersofParkinson’sUK.Itgaveustheopportunitytoshareourideasaboutworkingtogether.Parkinson’sUKisbestabletohelppeopleaffectedbyParkinson’swhenwe’reinvolvedinplanninganddecisionmaking,andthecharitytakesonboardtheviewsandvoicesofthepeoplewhoselivesitaimstoimprove.

Kathleen, family member of a person with Parkinson’s

‘‘

‘‘

change attitudesEveryone affected by Parkinson’s should be able to access health and social care that meets

national quality standards. We use all possible levers to improve care and make sure everyone

benefits from good services. We also raise awareness – telling decision-makers, health and

social care providers and the public what it’s really like to live with Parkinson’s, so everyone

understands the challenges and can help us change attitudes and improve lives.

16

• It costs up to £60,000 for Parkinson’s UK to fund a nurse for a year, providing expert care for around 300 people with Parkinson’s.

‘‘When our local health board announced they intended to close our community hospital, our Parkinson’s UK group immediately set out to save it. The hospital is so vital to our care and quality of life. We have a great specialist and Parkinson’s nurse, and fantastic therapy departments. It’s a joy to go to the hospital – you’re treated as a person, not just another patient.

To get our campaign going we got the whole community involved – collecting 14,000 signatures on our petition! And we kept the pressure up by involving politicians. We didn’t have much experience of this, so we worked closely with the Parkinson’s UK Scotland team. It was great to have their support and expertise.

We protested outside parliament, got a debate in parliament and met with the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Nicola Sturgeon. The politicians really listened to us explain why the hospital was so crucial to the local community, so I was always optimistic we’d save it. 16 months after we started, in December 2011, Nicola Sturgeon sided with us and reversed the decision to close the hospital. I went down to the hospital and everyone applauded as I walked in – that was really touching!

As well as fighting the campaign for the hospital, we’ve also helped bring Parkinson’s to the forefront. I think the health board were shocked we led such a strong campaign. Campaigning does work – you can change the world. This group of people – with Parkinson’s, from the east end of Glasgow – overturned the decision of the biggest NHS organisation in Scotland.

Gerry

‘‘

17

18

BeingheardGetting the voices of people with Parkinson’s heard in the media is crucial. It’s an essential way to raise awareness of what life with Parkinson’s is like and improve public understanding of the condition. In 2011, we achieved more than 5,400 stories in the media reaching a wide audience of just under 270 million people. If we’d paid for this coverage it would have cost more than £12million.

CharityoftheYear2011In 2011 we were named Charity Times’ Charity of the Year.

Withanewbrandandanewstrategy,manyoftheambitiousgoalsset,especiallyinfundraisingandraisingawareness,havealreadybeenachievedorsurpassed,transformingthecharitywithoutstandingresults.

Charity Times judges

‘‘ ‘‘

19

CampaigningforchangeIn 2011 we enabled people with Parkinson’s to have a much stronger voice with decision-makers, to bring about the changes they want and need. Our Campaigns Network grew by 33% and its members acted more than 2,700 times to voice their opinions on issues they felt strongly about.

During the year, Parkinson’s UK was represented at rallies in cities across the UK to protest against cuts to disability benefits. In response, the government made concessions to help protect carers and people in residential care.

With other organisations we campaigned with some success for government action to speed up the development of new drugs and give patients early access to emerging treatments.

We also supported a National Audit Office Inquiry into neurological services that gave us powerful evidence to lobby for change.

IwasinvolvedintheNationalAuditOffice’sassessmentofneurologicalservices.Theauditteam’sfinalreportshowedthattheyhadreallylistenedtoourviews.Myownparticularhobby-horseisthevalueofParkinson’snursesandthereportcontainedevidenceoftherealimpactParkinson’snursesmake.

Derek, person with Parkinson’s, member of our Campaigns Network

‘‘

‘‘

20

GettingbetteraccesstoParkinson’snursesPeople with Parkinson’s say that Parkinson’s nurses are crucial to help them manage their condition and make life easier. In 2011, we continued campaigning to make sure everyone in the UK has access to a Parkinson’s nurse. And the situation is improving.

There are now 316 Parkinson’s nurse posts. This means 18,000 more people affected by Parkinson’s can rely on vital nursing support than in 2010.

Mynurseunderstandsmeandgivesmethetoolstoliveanactivelife.ItoldheraboutmylackofsleepandhowIwakewithstiffmusclesinthenight.Shesuggestedachangetomymedicationand,heypresto,Icannowsleepforsixtosevenhoursatnight!

Pamela, person with Parkinson’s

‘‘‘‘

21

ImprovingservicesOur annual Parkinson’s audit helps healthcare organisations measure their services for people with Parkinson’s against national guidelines. 2011 was our biggest audit yet, with more than 300 healthcare providers taking part and getting guidance to improve their services.

It’s crucial that health and social care professionals understand more about Parkinson’s so they can offer the best possible care. Our Professional’s Network brings professionals together to share best practice and grew by 72% in 2011. And we distributed more than 4,500 information packs to healthcare professionals, giving them up-to-date information about Parkinson’s and the charity. We also educated more than 19,000 health and social care professionals about all aspects of the condition.

ThisismyfirstParkinson’sUKseminarandIreallyenjoyedit.IthasmademeveryawareofwhatsomeonewithParkinson’sandtheirfamilygothrough.Itbroughttomyattentionhowimportantmedicationisandwhyitisimportanttoensurepeoplegettheirmedicationontime.

Senior Care Worker attending our Birmingham Open Access Seminar

‘‘

‘‘

find a cureInnovative research is fundamental to achieving our vision – to find a cure. We want to

improve treatments to make day-to-day life easier and ultimately find a cure to stop or

reverse the condition. We know this is the top priority for people affected by Parkinson’s.

22

I think it’s very important for Parkinson’s UK to involve people affected by Parkinson’s in deciding how research money is spent. There’s only limited resources for research, so it’s crucial we have a say in what‘s important to us.

I’m involved in research in quite a few ways. I’m a lay grant reviewer, so I help review requests from researchers for Parkinson’s UK funding. I’m also on the peer review group of the Parkinson’s UK Brain Bank, where I review requests for tissue to be used in research. I’m on the steering group for an assistive technology research project at King’s College, London, as well. This research is looking at what aids and adaptations people with Parkinson’s use to make everyday life a bit easier.

My husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 10 years ago. Research to find a cure is our hope for the future. I also think it’s vital, until we find a cure, to look for ways to improve everyday life for the person with Parkinson’s and their family.

Parkinson’s UK is an important part of my life. As well as research, I also really value the support and friendship my husband and I get from our local young-onset support group.

Pam

‘‘

‘‘

• We gave a grant of just under £164,000 to fund the assistive technology research project at King’s College, London, to improve life for people living with Parkinson’s.

23

24

Makingprogress2011 was an inspiring year. Research we funded played a major part in genetics and stem cell research breakthroughs that will significantly speed up our search for a cure. And our research paved the way for drug trials into exciting new treatments.

ThisisthemostexcitingtimetobeinvolvedinParkinson’sresearchthatthere’severbeen.

MyresearchisfindingouthowthegenesinvolvedinParkinson’sworkandhowwecanchangetheiractivity.ThiswillhelpdevelopdrugstotackletherootcauseofnervecelldeathandhopefullyonedaymakeParkinson’sathingofthepast.

WithoutParkinson’sUK’sfunding,myworkwouldnotbepossible.

Dr Patrick Lewis, University College London

‘‘

‘‘

25

OurprojectsIn 2011 we invested £4.3million on new research and supported 90 research projects worth more than £15million. More than £325,000 was invested through innovation grants in radical new ideas that have huge potential to change the lives of people with Parkinson’s.

One key project updated two crucial facts core to our work: exactly how many people in the UK have Parkinson’s, and how many people are likely to have it in the future? Our results revealed there are currently around 127,000 people with the condition. This is predicted to rise to 162,000 by 2020. This adds powerful evidence to our campaign about the urgency of improving services for everyone with Parkinson’s.

SevenyearsagoItriedtoswiminapoolandwasn’tabletoco-ordinatemyarmsandlegs.I’mcurrentlyonholidayanddecidedtogointothesea.Ienteredthewaterandwithlittlethoughtstartedswimming–Iwasamazed!

IwanttoexpressmygratitudetoallatParkinson’sUK,becauseitisthankstotheirdedicationandcommitmentthatresearchtoimprovedrugswasfunded.Ihavegainedgreatbenefitfromtheworkdone.

Ray, person with Parkinson’s

‘‘

‘‘

26

InvolvingpeoplewithParkinson’sinourresearchPeople affected by Parkinson’s have been involved throughout the year with research – raising funds and steering decisions about how to spend our money.

Local groups gave more than £1million towards research and more than 100 people affected by the condition helped us judge the best quality and most relevant research to fund. To keep everyone up to date on our progress, we sent research information to more than 31,000 people.

Wearedelightedtoreceiveoptimisticprogressreportsontwoprojectswehelpedtofund.Therewasgreatinterestinourmeetinginwhattheresearchersaredoingandthepossibilityofusefulprogressinresearchinthenot-too-distantfuture.

Local Parkinson’s UK group that is funding research

‘‘‘‘

27

InvestingtofindacureIn 2011 we demonstrated that in just one year, our research investment helped pave the way for £22million of extra funding for vital research projects. This means that for every £1 invested by us, our researchers gained an extra £4 from other sources.

Whatwouldacuremeantome?IcouldgetupandgointhemorningwithoutMrParkinson’spermission.Icouldstopsharingmymealswithpeoplenearbywhenthetremorisbad,andwalkintoaroomwithoutwaitingformyfeettomoveagain.

Finally,IcouldholdafantasticfarewellpartyforMrParkinson!

Gloria, person with Parkinson’s

‘‘

‘‘

how we fund our vital workWe are entirely funded by voluntary donations, so every penny raised really counts.

To achieve our ambitious vision – to find a cure and improve life for everyone affected

by Parkinson’s – we need more support in 2012 and beyond.

28

At my first Parkinson’s UK local group meeting I found out that only some people in our area had access to a Parkinson’s nurse.

I was seeing the nurse in Cardiff, but it was very unjust that not everyone could get this support. It was the first time I came across the ‘postcode lottery’ for people with Parkinson’s. I joined the existing Parkinson’s UK campaign to help with the final push to get a nurse service, and began speaking to the media and writing numerous letters to help change things.

I also started raising money. Parkinson’s UK pays for new nurses for the first two years and I realised they’d need considerable funds to do this in our area and others. My wife and I hold concerts regularly – we once raised £2,000 from a particularly successful one! We also organise a cream tea in our garden every year. The event is really popular – this year will be our fourth one! Everyone we know gets involved – our neighbour gets up at 7am to make scones for us and our friends are very supportive.

Two years after my wife and I joined the campaign and started raising money, our local health board agreed to pilot a post and a local nurse was appointed! It was great to see what everyone’s efforts could achieve.

My wife and I have carried on organising regular fundraising events and collections for Parkinson’s UK. We have a very strong wish to see more research being done and this will need funding. We also get a lot of support and friendship from the people we’ve met through Parkinson’s UK, so we want to give something back to the charity.

Ray

‘‘

‘‘

29

30

In 2011, more individuals, groups and organisations supported us with donations of money or time than ever before.

IndividualsupportersOur fantastic supporters did us proud in 2011. Our London Marathon team raised more than £350,000 – the highest ever amount raised for the charity from this event. And more than 8,000 people donated nearly £245,000 to support research into Parkinson’s-related dementia and the search for key genes that could lead to a cure for Parkinson’s.

LegacygiftsPeople continued to support the charity by leaving us a gift in their Will. This is a vital source of income, which funds nearly half of our work. In 2011 we were left nearly £9.2million.

CorporatefundraisingSupport from corporate organisations is crucial. For example, we received £70,000 from a coalition of pharmaceutical companies to create resources to educate and raise awareness of Parkinson’s among healthcare professionals. One group in particular that we targeted was pharmacists – to really improve medicine management for people with Parkinson’s.

31

GrantsfromtrustsandmajordonorsTrusts and major donors have also been keen to fund our work – in 2011 our local group network was granted £250,000 from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity. Groups in each area planned how to spend the funding on what is most needed for local people affected by Parkinson’s. This included everything from Pilates, dance and exercise classes to improve movement, to funding research to speed up progress towards finding a cure.

ThankyouWithout the help and generosity of all our supporters, our work to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s would simply not be possible.

ItookpartinPedalforParkinson’swithagroupoffamilyandfriendssupportingme.IhaveParkinson’sandthiswasafantasticopportunitytomeetotherpeopleaffectedbyit.Itwasabrilliantlyorganiseddayandalthoughwefounditchallenging,itwasgreatfunandwecan’twaitforthe2012event!

Lorraine, person with Parkinson’s

‘‘

‘‘

32

Goal1: No one will have to face Parkinson’s alone.• Make our website more

personalised and interactive, and build our online community.

• Roll out self-care programmes to help people affected by Parkinson’s to manage their condition.

• Strengthen the way we promote the charity to priority groups – for example healthcare professionals and under-served communities.

Goal2: We will listen and respond to the needs of everyone affected by Parkinson’s.• Work closely with diverse

communities to develop resources that meet their needs.

• Develop the Research Support Network so that people affected by Parkinson’s are up to date with research news and are involved in our research decisions.

• Achieve Customer Service Excellence accreditation.

Goal3: We will improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson’s.• Develop our range of resources

and education programmes for professionals to increase our impact on quality of care.

• Campaign even more vigorously – for example to limit the impact of impulsive and compulsive

behaviours on the lives of people with Parkinson’s.

• Secure at least five more Parkinson's nurses across the UK.

Goal4: Our research will have resulted in better treatments and progress towards a cure.• Continue to invest in cutting-edge

research projects, focused on finding a cure.

• Identify areas of research that should be prioritised for funding and find potential partners.

Goal5: We will raise more than £110million to meet the costs of delivering our ambitious plans.• Increase income from key supporter

groups and through regular giving.

• Focus on increasing commercial and trading opportunities.

• Encourage increased research fundraising at a local level.

Goal6: We will be a united, focused and effective organisation.• Improve our human resources,

internal communications, IT and finance systems to further strengthen the way we work with our staff, volunteers and members.

• Strengthen the way we safeguard our volunteers and people with Parkinson’s.

our plans for 2012

We will:

33

34

THANK YOUWe would like to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the

success of Parkinson’s UK in 2011.

OurPatronHRH The Duchess of Gloucester

OurPresidentJane Asher

OurmembersThe size of our membership gives us a strong position to influence decision-makers. Thank you to everyone who joined Parkinson’s UK or renewed their membership in 2011.

We can only go on making a difference to people’s lives because of the generosity of the thousands of people and organisations who give their money, time and support to our work. Although it is not possible to mention every single person or organisation that has supported our work over the course of 2011, we would like to give particular thanks to:

OurvolunteersandlocalgroupsOur volunteers bring skills, experience, energy, enthusiasm and commitment to Parkinson’s UK. Our trustees, 360 local groups, fundraisers and volunteers are integral to our work. Thank you for everything that you do.

OurstaffOur staff are highly skilled people who are passionate about their work. Their tremendous effort across the year means that Parkinson’s UK has shown huge progress on all fronts.

CharitabletrustsandfoundationsWe continue to value the generosity of all charitable trusts and foundations that support Parkinson’s UK. Our special thanks however go to the following for making a special contribution to our work in 2011.

The Harry Bacon FoundationThe BIG Lottery Fund Frank Brake Charitable TrustWilliam A Cadbury Charitable TrustThe Childwick TrustThe Freemasons’ Grand CharityDoughty Hanson Charitable Foundation

35

Alan Edward Higgs CharityKinsurdy Charitable TrustGeorge John and Sheilah Livanos Charitable TrustJ Macdonald Menzies Charitable TrustThe Monument TrustThe Medlock Charitable TrustThe Edith Murphy FoundationProvince of Yorkshire, West RidingSantander FoundationThe Thompson Family Charitable TrustThe Anne & John Walters Charitable TrustAllan Willett FoundationThe Wixamtree TrustThe Zochonis Charitable Trust

CompaniesandotherorganisationsThe support of our partners remains crucial to our success as a charity. We would like to thank all of our corporate partners for their important contributions.

Aberdeen Asset Management AbbottAPSE Boehringer Ingelheim LimitedDeutsche Bank AG LondonGenus Pharmaceuticals Ltd GlaxoSmithKline UK Pharma

Lundbeck LtdOrion Pharma UK Ltd The Medtronic FoundationRedeem UCB Pharma LtdWorking at Height

ThosewhorememberedParkinson’sUKintheirWillWithout the generosity of these people, our work wouldn’t be possible. Legacies are vital to our work – enabling us to carry out our support and research.

Our thanks also go to these individuals who have made a special contribution to our work in 2011.

Mr and Mrs BluntMark and Liza LovedayMr and Mrs SalwayMrs Fiona Wilson MBE

For further information about our achievements in 2011 and plans for 2012, email hello@parkinsons.org.uk

You can find out more about the stories of the people featured in this report by visiting our websiteparkinsons.org.uk/impact

We’retheParkinson’ssupportandresearchcharity.HelpusfindacureandimprovelifeforeveryoneaffectedbyParkinson’s.We bring people with Parkinson’s, their carers and families together via our network of local groups, our website and free confidential helpline. Specialist nurses, our supporters and staff provide information and training on every aspect of Parkinson’s.

As the UK’s Parkinson’s support and research charity we’re leading the work to find a cure, and we’re closer than ever. We also campaign to change attitudes and demand better services.

Our work is totally dependent on donations. Help us to find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s UK215 Vauxhall Bridge Road London SW1V 1EJ

Free* confidential helpline 08088000303(Monday to Friday 9am–8pm, Saturday 10am–2pm). Interpreting available. Text Relay 1800108088000303(for textphone users only)*calls are free from UK landlines and most mobile networks. hello@parkinsons.org.ukparkinsons.org.uk

© Parkinson’s UK, March 2012. Parkinson’s UK is the operating name of the Parkinson’s Disease Society of the United Kingdom. A charity registered in England and Wales (258197) and in Scotland (SC037554).

B008