The Hepatitis C Trust and The International Music Summit (IMS) Ibiza are joining forces on a GET TESTED! Mission and WE NEED YOU to get involved and urge people to GET TESTED! for Hepatitis C.
How can you help?
We are encouraging people to sign-up and get on-board the first ever 'GET TESTED! mission'. All you have to do is travel from the UK to the International Music Summit in Ibiza by any means possible, other than plane or car. The GET TESTED! Mission is about having fun travelling through France, Spain and Ibiza with like minded people. It's also a chance to do something positive by raising funds and awareness for the Hepatitis C Trust and to light-heartedly compete with your fellow missionaries for the winners prize; a dedicated month long detox program prescribed by world-renowned holistic guru, Stella columnist and all-round A-list confidante Dr Nish Joshi. Expect a crazy Euro road-trip hopping on and off everything from bikes, boats and buses to scooters, trains, horses and skateboards. There will also be a very exciting prize for the person or people who travel using the least carbon footprint. There’s got to be a catch right? Right! We’re asking you to do the entire journey dressed in our mission theme of NEON…think disco, think nu rave, think M.I.A, think about getting noticed...think about getting tested.
About The Hepatitis C Trust
The Hepatitis C Trust is the national UK charity for hepatitis C. It is an entirely patient-led and patient-run organisation: all of its staff either have hepatitis C or have had it and have cleared it after treatment. We support patients with a help line and an advocacy service, lobby parliament and hold patient support groups. We also run the award winning awareness campaign What Not To Share which is supported by Lily Allen, Mark Ronson, Russell Brand, Jon Carter, Neil Tennant and many, many more see www.whatnottoshare.com
What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus that attacks the liver. 130 million people are living with hepatitis C globally and there are 3 to 4 million new infections every year. In the UK there are 250,000 to 500,000 people infected, of whom 80% or more have no idea that they are carrying the virus. Many more people are now dying in the West from hepatitis C than from HIV and very soon everyone will be able to say they know at least one, if not many more people living with hepatitis C.
Why team up with the International Music Summit?
There are many ways of contracting hepatitis C, however, the hedonistic environment and lifestyle associated with partying/clubbing and the Music Industry as a whole puts many people unwittingly at risk from contracting the disease. The Hepatitis C Trust advocates that people don’t share straws or notes to snort drugs for example but even if people change their behaviour now they may have put themselves at risk in the past. It’s through its many worldwide supporters and 100’s of respected industry delegates and music devotees that IMS is able to provide the perfect platform to educate and influence a primary at risk group about the hepatitis C health risk, help to save lives, prevent new infections, help lower stigma and most pressingly how to GET TESTED!.
About The International Music Summit?
The IMS has been created by six leading professionals (Including Pete Tong) to help re-set the agenda for electronic music culture, at a time when the industry needs it most. Set at a special location in Ibiza, the IMS covers three intense days of business programming, networking and activity leading straight into the official opening weekend of the Ibiza season. The IMS finale will be a spectacular outdoor event in Ibiza, featuring the hottest live acts, DJs, and of course, IMS’s very own Pete Tong.
Feeling Inspired to help?
The GET TESTED! missionaries will leave the UK on Saturday 23rd May and must arrive in Ibiza by Tuesday 26th May in time for the start of the IMS which runs from Wednesday 27th to Friday 29th May. Our route and travel advisor, LBC Radio’s John Warrington, is at hand to assist you with all your travel and accommodation requirements so get creative; together you can create a unique journey and a never-forget experience.
john.janaway@tarsc.net / 0207 485 4471
Collecting your sponsorship money couldn’t be easier.
Simply go to http://www.justgiving.com/hepcuk click on the orange Raise Money button and create your page by going to The Hepatitis C Trust – GET TESTED! mission. The funds you raise will cover all your travel expenses (for the journey only, not your stay in Ibiza) plus your IMS delegate pass. The remaining funds you raise will be donated to the Hepatitis C Trust. Missionaries must buy their delegates tickets at a cost of €295, in advance from www.internationalmusicsummit.com and the IMS will kindly donate €50 of the price back to the Hepatitis C Trust.
Upon arrival in Ibiza you will collect your official IMS Delegate Pass which allows entry to the seminars and all the Summit parties. As a GET TESTED! missionary you will also be invited to the GET TESTED! event at El Hotel on Wednesday 27th May where our guest David Enthoven from management company IE Music who’s clients include Robbie Williams, will address the delegates about the importance of this issue and his own personal experience of living with hepatitis C. There will also be an exclusive showing of a short film featuring two very brave teenagers speaking about their battle with the disease for the first time. There will also be fundraising auction, hosted by our very special guest.
Bella Freud is designing an exclusive GET TESTED! T-shirt, especially for this event.
As part of our ethical travel policy, we strongly advise that you do not take a flight for the return leg of your journey.
For further information and fundraiser packs contact -
GemmaGetTested@googlemail.com or ShellyGetTested@googlemail.com
“IMS is very excited to team up with the Hepatitis C Trust, it’s a very serious issue, and the music industry should do all it can to educate its industry and the wider public at large. The trust have come up with a truly innovative way to interact with the IMS audience, can’t wait to see who will hand-glide to Ibiza from Barcelona!” Pete Tong – Radio One DJ and IMS founder
“How could I resist the invitation to become a patron of The Hepatitis C Trust . One, I have it, two so many others have , and so many more have it and do not know they have. To those who have we aim to have a manageable circus; an exchange of possibilities, results and support. To those who do not know we may get their attention and thus help them get to the source of help - getting tested ! "
Andrew Loog-Oldham - Legendary Rolling Stones Manager
“I became a Patron of The Hepatitis C Trust because I feel this is a disease we all need to be aware of. As I’ve seen many of my close friends affected by this bug I do anything I can to raise awareness. The Trust joining up with IMS for the GET TESTEDI Mission is a genius stroke”.
Alan McGee – Maverick Industry Mogul
"The GET TESTED! Mission is the International Music Summits' very own ethical 'Wacky Races'. Hep C is a debilitating condition but If you get tested early enough you have a better chance of getting treated before you develop serious complications. A fundraising campaign that raises awareness on the importance of getting tested for Hep C and gets people to think creatively about travelling to Ibiza with a low carbon footprint, ticks all the boxes...and will be great fun!"
Will Moore (Sustainable Touring)
"On one hand hepatitis C didn't kill my mum. But it kind of gave her back to
us. It is strange how something so profound and worrying- full of dread and fear can have such a positive side effects. It brought our family closer and gave us choices.... life became precious. I am so happy that I did not witness my mum suffer at the hands of hep c - but still by finding out she had hep c gave her the opportunity to come home to those who matter in hard times. My mum was passionate about raising awareness about hep c because having a choice is liberating. When you don't know you have no choice and suffering is inevitable".
Sam Roddick - Daughter of Anita Roddick and owner of Coco de Mer
Come on…let’s GET TESTED!
