Author: Steph Brooks

Our missionees from around the UK came together at the Holiday Inn, Brighouse for our second annual ‘meet up’ on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th October.

We had an amazing time making new connections, renewing existing friendships, gaining new insights, creating awareness-raising resources, getting inspired and of course having fun along the way.

We were delighted to be awarded a fabulous £10,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund for our meet up.  Huge thanks to them and all National Lottery players.

Over the weekend we held three informative workshops on the subjects of bereavement, research and the medical aspects of mito.

The research workshop was headed up by Professor Kostas Tokatlidis accompanied by Fara Van Der Schans both from the team at the School of Molecular Biosciences, University of Glasgow.   Our medical workshop was lead by Professor Grainne Gorman and some of her team from The Newcastle Mitochondrial Disease Clinic for Adults and Children – Doctor Yi Ng and Doctor Renae Stefanetti.

Mitochondrial disease patients and their families had a valuable and rare opportunity to hear information first hand and ask questions.  Everyone who attended the workshops were in agreement that they had been a valuable part of the weekend and that much still needed to be done to increase and fast track research and improve medical services.

Amongst the many activities to suit all ages was creating our ‘My Mito Montage’.   This is a collaborative piece of art representing our connectedness and feelings about being impacted by mitochondrial disease.  It will be treasured by our charity, kept at our HQ and used to help illustrate our message in the future.  Our montage was made possible by our trustee and co-event organiser, Amanda Caldwell and her fabulous team from The Space at Field Lane.

Our invaluable volunteers – including our terrific trustees – worked amazingly hard both before and during the event to make it as magical as possible for everyone attending.  

We also had some very special volunteers who donated their professional services free of charge.  Julie Acton from Clinical Reflexology in Calderdale, Karen Baker of KJB Counselling, Sharon Berry from Alpha Omega Holistics and Howard Pickles from Templars Photography.

Having mitochondrial disease can be incredibly isolating when so little is known about it by those around you. That’s why getting everyone together face to face is so important … the peer support that results is priceless.  During our weekend friendships were made and nurtured which will bring people comfort and support in their future journeys dealing with the impacts of mito. 

A picture speaks a thousand words and we hope photos begin to illustrate the precious connections and wonderful memories that we were made at our My Mito Meet Up ’23.

We would like to thank all our supporters, without you we wouldn’t be able to do what we do!

Excitement is building within My Mito Mission as the My Mito Meet Up 2023 approaches, taking place 13-15th October 2023.

During the weekend, 22 of our missions from around the UK are getting together for a wonderful weekend of fun, learning, socialising and above all, support and new friendships.

Just one of the support projects we have been able to complete thanks to our fabulous supporters … and a huge amount of help from The National Lottery Community Fund.