Features / Bristol Charity Advent Calendar 2025
Bristol Charity Advent Calendar 2025, day 22: Meningitis Research Foundation
Meningitis Research Foundation is a Bristol-based charity that works internationally to prevent the impact of meningitis.
Founded by individuals whose lives were profoundly affected by the condition, the foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and increasing public knowledge of the risks of meningitis.
Meningitis is a potentially life-threatening condition in which there is swelling around the brain and spinal cord, usually caused by a bacterial, fungal or viral infection.
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According to the foundation, there are around 2.3 million cases of bacterial meningitis around the world every year.
Meningitis Research Foundation are committed to combatting the statistics, raising funds to support medical research, run life-saving health campaigns and provide support to those living with the condition.
Since the charity’s formation in 1989, they have been able to invest over £19.5 million in meningitis prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
In 2025, the charity launched their new research strategy, aiming for a “world free from meningitis.”
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The foundation will be investing up to one million pounds into research, supporting causes including the optimisation of meningitis vaccines, equitable access to pathogen genomics and work to reduce the lifelong impacts of meningitis.
“People affected by, and at risk of, meningitis are the ultimate beneficiaries of the work that we do,” said the team.
“In many cases, they make our work possible through their generosity.
“We remain committed to ensuring that the research we fund is informed by people with lived experience of meningitis.”
Main photo: Meningitis Research Foundation
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