Parkinson's UK is a

Parkinson's Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

research and support charity in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. In April 2010, the Parkinson's Disease Society changed its name to become Parkinson's UK. Its aims are to improve the quality of life for people affected by Parkinson's and find a cure for the condition. Parkinson's UK is the largest charity funder of research into Parkinson's in the UK. It funds research aimed at finding better treatments and improving the understanding of Parkinson's and its causes. It raises money through donations, legacies, community fundraising, events and corporate partnerships. The charity offers support and information to people affected by Parkinson's, their families and carers through a network of 350 local groups across

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

History

The Parkinson's Disease Society (Parkinson's UK) was formed in February 1969 by Mali Jenkins (4 July 1907 – 11 March 1989). Initially the organisation had 3 simple aims: * to help patients and their relatives with the problems arising from Parkinson's * to collect and disseminate information on Parkinson's * to encourage and provide funds for research into Parkinson's Parkinson's UK now focuses on research in addition to support. The charity has also expanded to improve services for people affected by Parkinson's through education and training for professionals and campaigning.

President

Jane Asher Jane Asher (born 5 April 1946)The International Who's Who of Women, 3rd edition, ed. Elizabeth Sleeman, Europa Publications, 2002, p. 29 is an English actress and author. She achieved early fame as a child actress and has worked extensively in f ...

has been President of Parkinson's UK since 2007 and has a brother-in-law diagnosed with Parkinson's. Asher has been involved in launching campaigns to improve research into Parkinson's.

Research

Parkinson's UK is the largest charitable funder of Parkinson's research in the UK and have so far invested more than £50million in research. The charity aims to 'find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson's'. In 2009 the charity produced 'Four decades of discovery' – a booklet describing the key research achievements of the charity since 1969 which included the development of new drugs, an improved understanding of Parkinson's, and better diagnosis and care for people with the condition. In 2010 the charity spent £4.6 million on new Parkinson's research projects and launched a new 5-year research strategy called 'Our plan to cure Parkinson's'. The new strategy focuses on four central challenges: * Understanding why nerve cells die in Parkinson's * Developing new animal models of Parkinson's * Faster, better drug screening * Finding 'biomarkers' for earlier diagnosis These priorities reflect the charity's focus on basic laboratory research to understand what causes Parkinson's, how it develops, and translational research to develop new treatments that slow, stop or reverse the condition. The charity also funds research to help better understand Parkinson's to improve treatment and care for people currently living with the condition. The charity produces a free research magazine, Progress, twice a year discussing current Parkinson's research.

Grant schemes

Parkinson's UK provides funding to UK-based researchers through a range of grants schemes, including: * Project grants – tackling major research challenges * Innovation grants – exploring original research ideas * Career development awards – nurturing outstanding talent * PhD studentships – attracting the best graduates Parkinson's UK is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC). This means that every application for research funding is subject to the same strict and transparent review process and is rigorously assessed by an independent panel of experts and people affected by Parkinson's.

Parkinson's UK Brain Bank

Parkinson's UK funds the Parkinson's UK Brain Bank at

Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

which provides brain tissue to UK and international Parkinson's researchers. In April 2009 Parkinson's UK held an appeal to increase the number of people signed up to the brain donor register. Jane Asher,

Jeremy Paxman Jeremy Dickson Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is an English broadcaster, journalist, author, and television presenter. Born in Leeds, Paxman was educated at Malvern College and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he edited the undergraduate ne ...

and John Stapleton were some of the people who pledged to donate their brain to Parkinson's research following the campaign.

Criticism

In June 2011 the charity was one of four organisations subject to a national boycott campaign by an animal rights group regarding their usage of animal testing. "

Animal Aid Animal Aid is a British animal rights organisation, founded in 1977 by Jean Pink. The group campaigns peacefully against the consumption of animals as food and against animal cruelty such as their use for medical research—and promotes a cruel ...

plans to take out a series of newspaper adverts urging the public to stop giving money to

Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organization. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...

, the

British Heart Foundation The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is a cardiovascular research charity in the United Kingdom. It funds medical research related to heart and circulatory diseases and their risk factors, and runs influencing work aimed at shaping public policy ...

, the

Alzheimer's Society Alzheimer's Society is a United Kingdom care and research Charitable organization, charity for people with dementia and their carers. It operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while its sister charitieAlzheimer Scotlandand Alzheimer's ...

and Parkinson's UK unless they end their support for animal testing."

References

External links

Official site
* * {{authority control Health charities in the United Kingdom Health in the City of Westminster Neurology organizations Organisations based in the City of Westminster