January. New Year, New You! Well, that’s what they tell you, right? For most people, January can be a tough month. We set ourselves ludicrous goals, such as but not limited to; must lose Christmas weight, must be able to run an ultra-marathon by the end of the month, must not drink alcohol, must spend less money, must declutter the entire house… Sometimes these are achievable, sometimes they feel less so. Well, I am here to tell you that January is long gone and spring is well and truly here!

Yes, the beginning of the year can carry a lot of pressure for many of us, but spring… spring has a different feel to it. Warmer weather and lighter evenings creep up on us, after our patience has near enough faded. Our favourite sunny, yellow flowers (Hello daffs!) start to appear all over the place (even in places we’re pretty sure we didn’t plant them). More plans are made with friends and loved ones, we feel we can venture outside again, activities like running, walks and cycling can happen after work. Spring brings a general uplift in the nation’s collective mood. We can all look forward to the year ahead, restrictions (both Covid and Daylight Savings) are lifting and we can start to set those achievable goals and make exciting plans again. Spring just so happens to also be the perfect time to start training for that elusive running event, the cycle challenge you’ve always wanted to take part in or that exotic overseas trek that’s on your bucket list.

I have recently joined The Migraine Trust as the new Fundraising and Supporter Engagement Officer. My role largely involves supporting our incredible fundraisers who have opted to run, cycle and hike their way to helping us carry out our important work. We have had some brilliant fundraisers in recent years, from those courageously running the London Marathon to participating in Swim Serpentine and all of the 10ks, Half Marathons and sponsored walks in between. It really is inspiring, the lengths that these committed people go to, to help The Migraine Trust carry out our valuable work.

I, on the other hand, am forever the person who says that “one day” they will do something. A marathon, or maybe Everest Base Camp? Or maybe… Well, you get the idea. I mean, I am so passionate about making a positive difference, signing up to something would seem like an easy decision to make. But ‘easier said than done’, as the saying goes. However, after just a couple of months in my role, I have been so enthused by our current fundraisers that it sparked the partly guilty, although mostly inspired idea that I too could be one of these incredible people, who puts their body and mind through so much to raise money and awareness for a cause close to their heart. Before I knew it, I had signed myself up to run a Half Marathon in May to help support The Migraine Trust. Committing to such an event has not only helped to make a healthy change to my lifestyle but it also felt like the perfect means to experience the same journey as our fundraisers.

The money that our supporters raise goes such a long way to ensuring that The Migraine Trust can carry out such important work. As the only patient organisation for migraine in the UK, it is key that we are able to continue offering information and support to those affected by migraine, campaign for better treatments and care, and promote and fund research. I want to use this platform to say a genuine thank you to all of our donors and fundraisers – we honestly couldn’t do the work that we do without your support.

So, whilst we’re on the subject… Do you think you would like an excuse to increase your activity, feel a little healthier, challenge yourself in a new way and, most importantly, help others this spring? As an organisation, we want to offer our supporters the opportunity to take part in fun events and challenges, both here in the UK and overseas. We want to enable them to support their chosen organisation, whilst getting fit, crossing something off their bucket list or taking on a personal challenge. We have so many options for runners, walkers and cyclists; from the Royal Parks Half Marathon to The Great North Run to Ride London. All legendary events and huge challenges for beginners and seasoned athletes alike. For those with a daring streak, why not take on a skydive, or perhaps a gravity defying abseil? And for those with itchy feet, a longing to explore our beautiful world and an epic sense of adventure, why not take on Kilimanjaro or even Everest?! There are events all year round and for all levels of fitness – we’ve got you covered! If you have your own challenge in mind, we’d love to hear from you too!  You can get in touch with the fundraising team at fundraising@migrainetrust.org for more details or to find the right challenge or event for you.

Find out about our latest fundraising challenge, March for Migraine, here.