RCPE Media Release

For Immediate Release

RCPE GOES BAREFOOT AS NO SOCKS ROCKS! RAISES FUNDS TO HELP NEPAL’S EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS

Prof Derek Bell, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and colleagues have gone barefoot to support a national social media fundraising campaign to provide healthcare and aid for survivors of the Nepal earthquakes.

UK charity Health Exchange Nepal (UK) is launching No Socks Rocks on Wednesday 1 July to help fund medical aid for Nepal. HExN has already sent a 21-strong team of volunteer doctors from Britain to help survivors of the two earthquakes which struck Nepal in April and May, causing thousands of casualties.

To help HExN raise awareness of the earthquake appeal and to reach their fundraising target of £100,000, the charity is inviting supporters to share photos of themselves without socks at work or taking part in their favourite activities, using the hashtag #NoSocksRocks to then challenge their friends.    

Prof Bell said:

“Like so many, I have been deeply saddened by the impact that the devastating earthquakes have had on Nepal this year. I visited Nepal in March before the earthquakes struck and I am keen that the College plays its part in fundraising for important initiatives like #NoSocksRocks to help to provide medical rehabilitation to those affected.”

Prof Satyan Rajbhandari, General Secretary of HExN, said:

“People have been very generous across the country, and that support has enabled us to get doctors to the areas most in need in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

“The terrible injuries many survivors have will require long-term support. Our next challenge is to offer rehabilitation treatment to people in Nepal, so that we can give them the best quality of life.”

Jeremy Ward, Chairman of HExN, added:

“We hope that lots of people will support the No Socks Rocks! campaign and donate to the appeal, because every penny makes a difference. Using #NoSocksRocks will ensure that we’re continuing to make people aware of how much help is still needed for those in Nepal.”

To find out more about the No Socks Rocks campaign, follow HExN on Twitter @HExNepal, Facebook at HexN, or visit the website at www.hexn.org.   

Those receiving challenges from their friends are being encouraged to donate £5 if they take the challenge and £10 if they don’t, by texting either GAME 11 £5 to 70070 or LAME22 £10 to 70070.

Please donate what you can to HExN via www.hexn.org or the Help Quake Affected Nepal My Donate page.

Health professionals interested in volunteering should visit www.hexn.org.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

  1. The earthquake which hit Nepal on 25 April 2015 measured 7.8 on the Richter Scale, and was the most powerful in the country for nearly 100 years. It killed around 8,500 people and left many more needing urgent medical care. An aftershock measuring 7.3 on the Richter Scale struck the country on 12 May, causing more devastation.
  2. Issued on behalf of Health Exchange Nepal (UK), registered charity 1124098. HEXN is an independent registered UK charity, with no direct connection to any UK hospital or UK hospital charity. Information about the charity can be found at www.hexn.org.
  3. Photographs available upon request.

Contact: Lisa Rooke, RCPE -  l.rooke@rcpe.ac.uk / 0313 247 3688.