IN response to the many reports of cases of meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia over the Christmas and New Year period, I am writing to highlight one way in which your readers can raise awareness of meningitis, and raise funds for important vaccine research, at the same time.

The National Meningitis Trust is holding a National Coffee Morning on Saturday, March 13, 1999, supported by Kenco. The aim of the National Coffee Morning is to raise vital funds to support the Trust's three aims of funding medical research into vaccines, raising awareness of the disease among the public and professionals, and supporting patients and their families.

This year we hope to raise £150,000, but we can only do that with the support of the public. Your readers can help us by holding a coffee morning on or around Saturday, March 13. Readers can hold the coffee morning at their place of work, home, in a village hall or other suitable venue. Clubs and associations can also support the Kenco National Coffee Morning. We already have 500 coffee mornings booked and we would like to break our record last year of 1000 coffee mornings.

Help us beat this killer disease, which claims the lives of 400 people a year in the UK. Most of those are children under the age of five or teenagers and young adults. The most virulent form of the disease, meningococcal septicaemia, can kill within hours.

If you are interested in hosting a coffee morning, please write for an event pack (containing coffee, leaflets, symptom cards and posters) to: Moira Wood, Kenco National Coffee Morning, National Meningitis Trust, Fern House, Bath Road, STROUD, Glos GL5 3TJ. Or telephone 01453 768000.

Moira Wood

Events Officer

National Meningitis Trust

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