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About the Meningitis Trust
As many as 500,000 people living in the UK today have had either viral or bacterial meningitis. And up to 10 million adults in the UK – one adult in every four – knows of someone who has had the disease. The Meningitis Trust, a registered charity, helps and supports everyone struggling to cope with the impact of meningitis through the following professional free services:
- a freephone 24-hour nurse-staffed helpline - 0800 028 18 28 with access to translation into over a hundred languages
- counselling
- home visiting
- art therapy
- financial grants to fund things such as specialist equipment; respite care; therapeutic activities; special training; funeral and headstones; travel and accommodation costs.
The Meningitis Trust is the UK’s longest established meningitis charity and is completely reliant on voluntary donations to continue its work.
About meningitis
Meningitis is life-threatening and affects the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis and associated septicaemia (blood poisoning) can kill within hours and can affect anyone at any time. Those most at risk are children under the age of five, teenagers and young adults, and people over 55.
Symptoms commonly include fever with cold hands and feet, vomiting, headache, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights, joint or muscle pain, drowsiness, confusion, and, in babies, a dislike of being handled, pale blotchy skin, an unusual cry and a blank staring expression. Both adults and children may also have a rash that doesn’t fade under pressure (a sign of septicaemia). Symptoms may appear in any order and some may not appear at all.
In addition to English, disease information is also available in Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu, Bengali, Cantonese and Polish.
For more information visit the website www.meningitis-trust.org.
