August is a quieter month for us here at Long Covid Support, but we are still here! Opportunities for peer support and connection continue across our Facebook groups, and if you attend our in person peer support groups regularly, don't forget we have a break in August - we'll return in September.

Last year, 17 incredible fundraisers took on challenges #ForThoseWhoCant. Whether running, cycling, crocheting, or asking friends to donate on a special occasion, we were so grateful to each and everyone who took the time to raise funds for our charity 🙏

📣 New paper out on Long Covid and work from REACT Study. Based on over 45,000 participants: 🔷 4.3% had unresolved Long Covid 🔷 An additional 2.3% had resolved Long Covid 🔷 Participants with unresolved Long Covid had 38% lower odds of being in paid work, & 4x higher odds of having to change hours

Have you joined us on Easy Fundraising? Here's how it works: 📧 Sign up 🛒 Shop 🛍️ Brands pay us at no cost to you You can even use their handy browser extension to remind you every time you're on an eligible website before you check out or go straight through their app on your phone.

The latest NHS England GP Patient Survey data is now available - and our team have started having a look through it. The numbers show us that an average of 3.53% of people aged 16 and over have Long Covid in England. Follow us for more stats as we process the data. #LongCovid #StillHere

Our Birmingham in-person peer support group is coming up at the end of July before the summer break in August! 📆 Friday 31 July 🕚️ 11am - midday 📍 Sense Touchbase Pears, Selly Oak You can register now using the Eventbrite link - please do join us if you are available. tinyurl.com/IPPS-Birmingham

As part of South Asian Heritage Month, You're Not Imagining It is a free online event exploring Long COVID, ME and invisible illness in South Asian communities - a hopeful, practical conversation by host Asma Younus and leading experts Dr Binita Kane and Dr Sanjay Gupta. 1/

You might have seen that we are discussing PIP in a workshop in Chester next week – but if Chester’s a bit far for you, we’re also running the workshop online. On Monday 13 July at 10:30am join us for a dedicated discussion about Personal Independence Payments (PIP). 1/

We did it! Thanks to our generous community, our final total, including gift aid and match donations, is an incredible £5,540! We truly couldn't have done this without you and are so grateful to everyone who donated, engaged with our posts, and shared them with your friends and family.

On 9 July, our in-person peer support group in Chester will be exploring a specific issue: Personal Independence Payments (PIP). As part of the DWP’s review of PIP, we’re running workshops to gather insight into how people affected by Long Covid experience the PIP system. 1/

We’ve been gathering feedback on our In-Person Peer Support (IPPS) groups. What we’re hearing is that these groups have quickly become an important form of connection for those attending in both Birmingham and Chester. Validation, support, and community.

We did it! You helped us double the difference, and we've reached our £5000 fundraising goal 🎉 🥳An enormous thank you to everyone who has donated, shared, and engaged this week to help us meet our target and to our champion funders at Postcode Neighbourhood Trust. donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

We are almost at the finish line! With just £398 left to hit our target, we're so close. You can help us achieve our goal by sharing the link with family, friends, and your wider networks. There is still time to have your donation doubled until we hit £5K! donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

And they’ve continued to be a lifeline for so many. Our work together as part of the All‑Party Parliamentary Group is now making real progress with Government across health, education, employment, benefits and more. I’m grateful for what they do, and I look forward to continuing my work with them"

"Long Covid is a cause that’s incredibly close to my heart. I’m proud to champion Long Covid Support, who do fantastic work challenging stigma, raising awareness, and fighting for meaningful change for the Long Covid community. When I developed Long Covid in 2020, they were my support blanket, (1/2)

As a charity, we are very grateful to have the support of Jo Platt MP. Having experienced Long Covid herself, she is an invaluable voice in Parliament, and her work as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group helps our voices remain in the public conversation. Jo has shared a quote with us today.

Our amazing Research Involvement Consultancy (we like to call it the RIC) has been involved in helping centre Long Covid patients in research, making sure their lived experience is taken into account in studies, and recruiting people to take part. See our latest post on FB or Instagram for more info

In January, we launched our first in-person peer support (IPPS) groups in Chester and Birmingham. One of our funding goals through this campaign is to expand our IPPS offerings and establish more groups in high-need areas.

Did you take part in the PHOSP-COVID study? If so, it’s time for the 5 year follow-up! This follow-up work is crucial to help understand long-term impacts of Covid-19, and the information collected will help improve future care, treatment and support of those affected by the virus. 1/

In case you missed it, our Big Give page is now LIVE! From now until 5 pm on the 29th of June, your donation will be DOUBLED thanks to our match funding from @PostcodeLotteryUK up to £5000. This means that if you donate £25, you’ll essentially be giving £50 to a good cause at no extra cost to you.

So, we're raising funds, but you might be wondering, where does the money go? See the images below to learn about how we'll be putting the funds raised to good use. You can also find more info on our campaign page and make your donation go twice as far today: donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

Our Big Give Small Charity Week campaign is live 🥳 From 22 - 29 June, every pound you donate up to £2,500 will be DOUBLED by a generous match fund from our champion, the Postcode Neighbourhood Trust. donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05... #LongCovid #BigGive #SmallCharityWeek #MatchFunding

📢 Help us make sure children’s voices are heard in Parliament alongside @longcovidkids.bsky.social On 24 June, the APPG on Long Covid will hear evidence from children, young people and families affected by Long Covid. We need MPs to attend and hear directly about the impact Long Covid has. 1/

See the image below for more information on how to donate to our campaign! Don't forget to follow us for more updates and the chance to donate next week! #SmallCharityWeek #BigGive #PostcodeLottery

Essentially, for every pound you give between 22 and 29 June 2026, we receive DOUBLE the funds up to a total campaign target of £5000! Thanks to everyone playing People’s Postcode Lottery, our champion funders through Big Give’s Small Charity Week campaign with NCVO & Global’s Make Some Noise.

We are excited to have been granted £2.5k in match funding from Postcode Neighbourhood Trust, in partnership with the Big Give for Small Charity Week! But what does match funding mean?

We’re thrilled to share that next week is Small Charity Week, and as part of the Big Give/NCVO/Global celebrations, we have been awarded £2500 in matchable funds from our champion, the People's Postcode Lottery!

The next APPG on Long Covid meeting will be held on Wednesday 24 June at 4pm. @longcovidkids.bsky.social will be presenting on the impact of Long Covid on Children and Young People. Please do write to your MP and ask them to attend this very important and insightful session. #LongCovid #APPG

This week, 8 - 14 June, is Carer's Week - a chance to send love and care back to everyone in our community who is caring for someone with Long Covid. Their support too often goes unrecognised, and they are often left without support themselves. We see you, and we know how much you are giving. 1/