Parkinson’s society re-brands with £110m funding target

The Parkinson’s Disease Society has announced plans to raise over £110m to find a cure for the condition and raise awareness about it over the next five years.

The plan coincides with the re-naming of the Parkinson’s Disease Society as Parkinson’s UK in an attempt to bring the charity closer to its membership. The awareness campaigns will feature real people rather than models and will include their personal experiences.

The funding target represents an 11% increase.

An extensive consultation with people with Parkinson’s revealed many were unaware of the charity or what it did.

Chief executive Steve Ford said the range of services run by the charity had expanded in recent years and new funds would also be used to maintain these. “We don’t want anyone to be living with Parkinson’s alone and health and social care professionals have a key role in connecting people with us,” he said.

The charity hopes to change the image of the disease so it is not just associated with older people.

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