Dear Friends of the University of Reading,

Please find below a summary of a project that I would like to apply for funding to support.

Raised blood pressure is the number one cause of death worldwide, but only 50% of people know that they have high blood pressure. May Measure Month (MMM) is an international initiative to perform mass blood pressure testing to raise awareness of silent hypertension and encourage healthy lifestyles in the population. So far 1 million people with untreated hypertension have been identified through MMM.

Through the initiative, volunteers run local drop-ins between May and August to measure blood pressure in the community and I would like funds to set up a University of Reading organising centre to run drop-ins on the University Campus and surrounding areas; examples of drop-in locations might include, supermarkets, bingo halls, shopping centres, community centres. I would like to apply for £2000 to contribute to the cost of running these events- this will include the cost of 2 x computer tablets to be used to collect the data (~£600 each) and promotional materials (a banner, posters, leaflets and T-shirts) at ~£800.

This project supports University-community relations as well as student and staff extra circular activities. At hubs, university staff and student volunteers will screen members of the public to identify untreated hypertension in the local community and will encourage these individuals to seek medical advice; these cases of hypertension might otherwise go unknown, potentially resulting in more serious illness. The activity will support our students’ development, requiring them to hone communication skills as well as clinical skills (ie blood pressure measurement); full training will be provided using my own clinical experience and training packs provided from the MMM team.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Charlotte