Prof Deepak Ravindran is a consultant in pain medicine and long-time supporter of Pain Concern. In 2025 he ran the London Landmarks Half Marathon (LLHM) not only to raise funds for Pain Concern but inspire others to do the same.
The Experience
The London Landmarks Half Marathon delivers something special. Packed crowds. Famous landmarks. A route past Big Ben, the Tower of London, and along the Thames. The atmosphere lifts you from start to finish.
You Don’t Need to Be Super Fit
Worried about your fitness level? Deepak had been out of training for several years before taking part. He followed the same simple, realistic principles that he recommends to his own patients. Pace yourself. Be kind to your body. Build fitness step by step. Progress matters more than speed. If he can do it, so can you!
The Bigger Picture
Deepak’s support for Pain Concern comes from his commitment to pain science education and raising awareness of how complex pain can be. More than 20 million people in the UK live with persistent musculoskeletal pain. That is more than diabetes, stroke, and heart disease combined. He sees this as a major public health issue and recognises Pain Concern as a charity making a real difference.
Why It Matters
For Deepak, running was about doing something that counts. The challenge pushed him physically and mentally, while raising funds for people living with persistent pain.
Join the Team!
Your run can make a real difference. Get your place and run for Team Pain Concern.
Inspired by Deepak’s story? Ready to take the next step? Find out how you too can raise funds for Pain Concern by signing up for the LLHM
Level Up Your Fundraising: How to Use Gaming for a Good Cause
Looking for a fun, creative way to raise money for Pain Concern without lacing up your running shoes? If you’re into gaming, why not turn your hobby into a force for good? Whether you’re a casual player or a livestreaming pro, there are lots of simple and effective ways to fundraise through gaming. Here’s how to get started.
Why Choose Gaming to Fundraise?
Gaming brings people together, builds communities, and offers endless opportunities to engage supporters in a light-hearted, interactive way. Best of all, it can be done from the comfort of your home (or wherever you like to play!).
Easy Fundraising Ideas for Gamers
1. Host a Charity Livestream
Pick your favourite game and go live on platforms like Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook Gaming. Share your fundraising link and encourage viewers to donate during your stream.
Tip: Add donation milestones or challenges (e.g. wear a silly hat when you hit £25, play blindfolded at £50, etc.).
2. Run a Gaming Marathon
Set a goal like playing for 6, 12 or even 24 hours (with breaks!). Ask friends and family to sponsor your gaming stamina in support of Pain Concern.
3. Organise a Friendly Tournament
Challenge your mates to a FIFA, Mario Kart, or Smash Bros. tournament and ask for an entry donation. Offer a small prize or just the glory of winning!
4. Play for Points (or Pounds!)
If you’re into mobile or casual games, ask your network to sponsor you per level cleared, match won or high score achieved. Even Wordle counts!
5. Try JustGiving
Platforms like JustGiving make it easy to set up gaming-based fundraising pages with built-in donation tracking and goal progress.
Hints and Tips
Pick a game you love: Your passion will make it more fun (and more watchable, if you’re streaming!).
Spread the word: Use social media, email, and Discord to let people know what you’re doing and why.
Make it interactive: Add polls, challenges, or live shout-outs for donors.
Share your story: Tell people why you’re supporting Pain Concern—a personal connection can really motivate donations. Have a look at our Social Media resources to help with promoting your event.
Keep it safe and friendly: Use moderation tools and content warnings if needed, especially for livestreams.
No worries! You can still get involved by hosting a games night with friends, streaming a cosy puzzle game, or playing classic board games online. It’s all about having fun and making a difference.
Ready to Press Start?
However you choose to play, your fundraising helps support people living with chronic pain. Set up your page, spread the word, and game for good!
If you need help or want to chat about your gaming idea, we’re here to support you. Just get in touch with us at fundraising@painconcern.org.uk
At the start of June, the NHS Grampian Pain Service team held a bake sale in support of Pain Concern. From homemade cakes to sweet treats, their efforts helped raise both funds and awareness for people living with chronic pain. A big thank you to everyone who took part!
Knit for a Cause: Fun Ways to Fundraise with Your Knitting Needles!
Love to knit? Got more yarn than you know what to do with? Good news – your hobby can do more than just keep you (and your teapot) warm… it can help raise money for charity too! Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned stitcher, here are some fun and easy ways to turn your knitting into a force for good.
1. Knit & Sell
One of the simplest ways to fundraise is by selling your makes – think scarves, hats, baby booties, or cute little animals. You can:
Set up a stall at a local craft fair or market
Pop them on Etsy or Facebook Marketplace
Offer them to friends and family for a suggested donation
People love a handmade item, especially when they know the money’s going to a good cause!
2. Get Stitching Together
Start a “knit & natter” group and fundraise as a team. You could:
Collect a small donation each session
Work together on items to sell or raffle
Make it a sponsored knitting challenge!
It’s social, it’s soothing, and you’re doing good. Win-win-win.
3. Take on a Knitting Challenge
Why not get sponsored to:
Knit a blanket in a week
Make 100 tiny teddies
Teach someone to knit in exchange for a donation?
Set yourself a fun or slightly bonkers knitting goal and ask friends, family or social media followers to support you.
4. Craft for a Cause
Knit things that people really want:
Christmas decorations
Easter chicks with creme eggs inside (yes, please)
Poppies for Remembrance Day
Woolly pumpkins in autumn
Cosy hats, scarves and gloves for wintry weather
These seasonal makes are always popular and perfect for selling to raise funds.
And of course it doesn’t have to be just knitting! Whatever craft you’re passionate about can be turned to fundraising.
Whether you’re knitting for fun, friendship, or fundraising, your needles can make a real difference. So cast on, get creative, and know that every stitch is helping someone in need.
Want help setting up a knitting fundraiser for Pain Concern? We’d love to hear from you! Contact us at fundraising@painconcern.org.uk
Baking something delicious to share feels good – and it’s even better when you’re doing it to support a good cause. Whether you’re planning a bake sale in your workplace, local community, or even at home, here are our top tips to make your fundraiser for Pain Concern a sweet success.
Get the Basics Right
Choose a busy time and location.
If your bake sale is open to the public, go for a high-footfall spot like a town centre, library, community hall, or shopping area. Saturdays and weekday lunchtimes tend to be the busiest times. For smaller or private events, pick a place and time that’s convenient for your group.
Spread the word.
Once you’ve set the date, get the word out! Use community noticeboards, local Facebook groups, WhatsApp chats, and printable posters to advertise. Let people know where, when – and most importantly – why you’re raising money.
Bake (or Buy) with Variety
Team up with others.
Ask friends, family or colleagues to join in. The more bakers you have, the more tempting treats you’ll have on offer. And if baking isn’t your thing, no worries – shop-bought goodies are welcome too!
Cater for everyone.
Include a mix of cakes, biscuits, brownies and savoury items. Remember to offer options for different dietary needs, like gluten-free or vegan bakes.
Label clearly.
Make sure everything is labelled with its name and any allergens. This keeps everyone safe and helps people choose what’s right for them.
Got contacts at a local bakery or café? See if they’d be willing to donate a cake or prize. It’s a great way to boost what you can offer.
Add Some Fun!
Host a raffle or mini bake-off.
A prize draw or fun competition like a blind taste test can add an extra layer of excitement – and raise even more money.
Decorate your stall.
Make your table eye-catching with bunting, tablecloths, and colourful signs. A well-decorated stall helps draw people in and shows you’ve put care into the cause.
After the Sale
Collect and donate the money.
Make sure all donations have gone through your JustGiving page, or if you’ve collected cash, you can pay it in directly. Don’t forget to thank everyone who supported you!
Every cake slice sold helps support Pain Concern’s work to improve the lives of people living with pain. So grab your mixing bowl, rally your community, and raise some dough for a great cause! 💜
Personalise this banner with your event name and share your fundraiser online!
Click on the image to take you to Canva where you can edit the template with your details. If you don’t already have a Canva account, you can create a free one.
Or you can download a Powerpoint file (pptx) and personalise your banner there!
We’ve just released our new Fundraising Guide, which you can read and download below!
Whether you’re interested in bake sales, quiz nights, online streams or sporting events, there are so many ways to get involved and support our mission.
Cormac Ryan isn’t just a leading voice in pain research – he’s also got the trainers to prove it!
As Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation at Teesside University and Community Pain Champion for the Flippin’ Pain Campaign, Cormac has dedicated nearly 20 years to helping us better understand persistent pain. He’s published over 80 peer-reviewed articles, co-authored the Physiotherapy chapter in the Faculty of Medicine’s core standards for Pain Management Services, and recently helped update the British Pain Society’s Pain Management Programme guidelines. Basically – if it’s about pain, Cormac knows it.
But his support doesn’t stop at research or the lecture theatre. Cormac has been a passionate supporter of Pain Concern for years, and in May he went the extra (26.2!) miles by running the London Marathon for both Flippin’ Pain and Pain Concern. His amazing efforts raised over £2,000 to support people living with chronic pain. 💜🏃♂️💪
We’re so grateful to Cormac for everything he does – and if he’s inspired you to lace up your own running shoes or fundraise in your own way, we’d love to hear from you!
Could you be our next fundraising hero? Find out how to get involved [link to fundraising info].
“Pain Concern offers invaluable aid to people living with chronic pain. Their enthusiastic staff drop in on our pain management programmes to support people at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Their podcast has been a great learning tool for me as a clinician and an excellent resource for those living with pain.”
— Dr John O’Sullivan, Clinical Psychologist at Chelsea and Westminster NHS FT
On May 11th John O’Sullivan and Pete Wells ran the Richmond Park 10K to raise money for Pain Concern. In fact, this is the second time that John has run a 10k in support of Pain Concern! They were both fantastic on the day and managed to raise a whopping 123% of their target. A huge thank you guys!
For more information or to donate, visit their JustGiving page :
In November of last year, Liz, 33, ran the Brighton 10k to fundraise for Pain Concern. She was inspired to do so because of her friendship with Vicki, 33 an office administrator for Pain Concern who has lived with persistent pain for many years.
I sat down with the two of them to chat about how the run, the supportive nature of friendship and what Liz doing the run meant to the two of them.
Beth: How long have you guys been friends for? How did you meet?
Liz: We were discussing this. We’re like, how long has it been? We met in second year of university which would have been 13 or 14 years ago now, which seems mad that we’ve known each other that long! We met through some friends of friends, and we all ended up living together in our third year. We kept in touch over the years after we graduated.
B: What university did you both go to?
Vicki: University of Nottingham.
Liz: Yeah, this is the clever one, she did maths!
B: So you’ve known each other a long time then?
V: Yeah…and many more to come.
B: When did this journey begin? When did you start having these conversations and how did it manifest into running a fundraising 10k for Pain Concern?
L: I’ve been doing a bit of running since having Jake just to get back into physical fitness and it’s good for my mental health. I’ve been talking to Vicki throughout her volunteering at Pain Concern and then more recently having a role there and appreciating how important it is for Pain Concern to continue doing what it does. I thought there’s a 10K that I can do to sort of challenge myself and give me something to work towards, but I can also do what I can to try and help Pain Concern at the same time and raise some money.
B: How do you both feel on the run up (pun intended) to the 10k? What are your hopes, any dreads?
L: The dreads one is easy because it’s November and I’m going to be running along Brighton sea front and at the moment we’ve got that Storm Ciarán here. So I’m really worried it’s going to shut it down with rain or it’s just really windy and I’ll be running into the wind, which won’t be fun but hopefully I can raise some good amount of money which will be useful for Pain Concern. I’m just hopeful that I can finish and in a good time as well.
V: I’m feeling excited for this because I know that she enjoys running and it’s great that she’s getting back into something that she’s enjoying. And I think about the training, so recently going from a 5K to training to a 10K, I think that’s great.
B: How do you both feel about it in terms of supporting Pain Concern?
V: Liz is great fun and it just generally shows how much of a supportive friend she is. The fact that she’s willing to do it. But if I’m honest, it doesn’t surprise me because I know she’s amazing. But yeah, very grateful.
L: Yeah, I feel quite nervous coming up to a race. But on the day, when you’re running and if you’re doing it for a good reason, you can think about that as you’re going along and it sort of stretches you from the “ooh, I can’t breathe!” to the “yeah, there’s a good reason that I’m doing this.” That’ll get me through the finish line.
B: What can you tell us about your journey with pain, Vicki?
V: So my pain began literally overnight 24/7 in 2013. I had many years where I’d seen various different specialists but didn’t have a diagnosis; I had a lot of experience of healthcare professionals disbelieving me and making me feel like it was in my head. At one point I was actually referred to psychiatry but was discharged from them immediately. They said it wasn’t the right place to be.
Over the years I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and endometriosis. I’ve had a few surgeries for endometriosis and two years ago I had a hysterectomy for a condition called adenomyosis.
It was a long recovery but since then, working on self-management and then therapy to help with the mental health side of things. I’ve accepted the pain and through accepting it, that’s helped me move on in life and get back into sort of, I guess what you would call a more “standard life”; working and not everything being affected by pain. Difficulty leaving the house, I don’t have that anymore. I feel like I don’t see pain as my identification anymore, which I did before.
L: I’d like to add to that because of my perspective, living with Vicki at university and knowing Vicki then. We had a good time; we would go out and we would drink and dance. And then I remember back in 2013 when she started getting the first symptoms and I think you were saying you got pain in your hands.
Then sort of gradually seeing it; her telling me about it progressing and you can’t really do anything to help and it just gradually getting worse. And then we’d be talking, and she’d be saying how she’s been going back and forth to specialists and GPs and it would be a very long and frustrating process and you can’t do anything.
We would try and meet up near Sheffield and it would be “how’s your pain today, Vicki? How are you feeling?” And it may be that we don’t meet today, we’ll catch up another time and then if we could meet up, it was really difficult to see Vicki not being able to do much because the pain was so bad that she just needed to sit down, and that was quite upsetting as a friend watching her go through that.
It’s been really great to see her gradually, like she said, getting her life back on track and back together and now seeing her being able to do things, go to the theatre and come and visit us in Brighton. That’s been really nice. It’s been a long journey for her and I think if I was in that situation, I don’t think I would have been as resilient and as strong as she has and as positive.
V: That’s really kind Liz. I’m not just saying that you honestly did help. I always find as well as the support you’re fun and upbeat, finding humour. For me to see the funny side of things has really helped. I think humour is a good, well at least for me, coping mechanism.
B: If you could be at the finish line with Liz, what would you say as she crosses that line?
V: Well, other than the obvious of well done and thanks for raising money for Pain Concern to just say thank you generally, she’s helped me a lot living with pain. I’m in a lot of a better position now in terms of self-management and being back in work and exercising, but just generally throughout the years when I’ve had a tough time, often with pain, you end up losing friendship.
So, for example, you might not be able to attend events, so people stop inviting you and you just generally lose touch. But that’s not been the case at all with Liz. She’s always been really understanding and supportive. So, I just wanted to show my appreciation to her because I really do value it.
L: Ooh, that’s lovely. Thank you.
Liz completed her run and raised £550 for Pain Concern – if you’ve been inspired by Liz and Vicki’s story, please consider fundraising or donating to Pain Concern:
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