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  1. FAQs

FAQs

Birthday donations on Facebook

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If you'd like to gather donations from friends on facebook for the HMSA to celebrate a birthday or other special event, you can do this in five simple steps.

  1. Go to our facebook page.
  2. Click the 'Create fundraiser' button just below the main banner
  3. Fill in the details (your target amount and when you want the fundraiser to end)
  4. Click Next - you can then edit the description to whatever you want, or leave it as the template.
  5. Click Next - you can then either change the image or leave it as the template HMSA logo.

Then click create it's done - ready to share with your friends!

Published: 1st April, 2019

Updated: 22nd August, 2019

Author:

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What is the Beighton Score?

A brief summary of the beighton scale, it's uses and limitations.

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Beighton Score 

The Beighton modification of the Carter & Wilkinson scoring system has been used for many years as an indicator of widespread hypermobility. However, it is more of a research tool and an indicator of generalized hypermobility. As a clinical tool it can be a quick and straightforward thing to do BUT there are two important things to realize: 

i. A high Beighton score by itself does not mean that an individual has a hypermobility syndrome. Other symptoms and signs need to also be present. 

ii. A low score should be considered with caution when assessing someone for widespread pain as hypermobility can be present at a number of sites that are not counted in the Beighton score. For example, this can be at the jaw joint (the ‘TMJ’), neck (cervical spine), shoulders, mid (thoracic) spine, hips, ankles and feet. 

The Beighton score is calculated as follows: 

1. One point if while standing forward bending you can place palms on the ground with legs straight 

2. One point for each elbow that bends backwards 

3. One point for each knee that bends backwards 

4. One point for each thumb that touches the forearm when bent backwards 

5. One point for each little finger that bends backwards beyond 90 degrees. 

Another quick tool to use is the hypermobility questionnaire. An answer of ‘Yes’ to 2 or more of the questions gives a very high prediction of the presence of hypermobility. Again, like the Beighton score, this does not mean that the person has a Hypermobility Syndrome. 

1. Can you now (or could you ever) place your hands flat on the floor without bending your knees? 

2. Can you now (or could you ever) bend your thumb to touch your forearm? 

3. As a child did you amuse your friends by contorting your body into strange shapes OR could you do the splits? 

4. As a child or teenager did your shoulder or kneecap dislocate on more than one occasion? 

5. Do you consider yourself double-jointed? 

For the academic references, contact us via our Academic References form here.

Review date: March 2020 

Published: 25th July, 2019

Author: Hannah Ensor

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A sponsored activity

Swimming, hiking, skydiving, reading - so many options!

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Doing a sponsored activity is a great way of combining awareness and fundraising. 

It's really easy to set up - just go to 'Set up a fundraising page' and complete the form. Make sure that in the section called "

As soon as you've sent the page in you will be able to start sharing the link with sponsors.

Where appropriate, our social media team will then create an event that will link directly to your fundraising page!

Published: 1st August, 2019

Updated: 29th August, 2019

Author: Hannah Ensor

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Run a larger event

Like a bake sale, craft fair etc.

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The best thing to do is to contact our Fundraising Team on [email protected] who will be able to advise you.

The fundraising team will be able to provide you with an application form and arrange to get a fundraising pack (including T-Shirt, Noise Maker, Balloons, Stickers, Hand Flag and Information Leaflets) sent to you – this is providing you are happy to commit to raising a minimum of £10 for us!

 

Published: 22nd August, 2019

Updated: 2nd June, 2020

Author: Hannah Ensor

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Donate old mobiles, gadgets and cameras

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Through the 'Recycling Project' run by Recycling for Good Causes you can get a larger recycling sack from their website, which you can fill with any of the following:

  • Jewellery & Watches (in any material even if damaged or broken)
  • Currency – Any coins or banknotes, UK & foreign (even if out of circulation)
  • Mobile Phones
  • Cameras (old film, digital and video)
  • Stamps (Loose, single, albums, first day covers, presentation packs, collections)
  • Gadgets (Sat-Navs, Ipods, MP3 players, games consoles, games & accessories).

When it is of an acceptable weight (10-30kg), just give us a call and we will arrange collection free of charge at a convenient time for you. It’s that simple and there is no long term commitment. 

All these donations will help to raise funds for the HMSA.

Published: 22nd August, 2019

Updated: 2nd June, 2020

Author: Hannah Ensor

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Recycle old jewellery and watches

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Through 'Recycling for Good Causes' you can donate all your broken and unwanted jewellery to raise money for Hypermobility Syndromes Association.

If you have any gold, silver, odd earrings, broken chains, costume jewellry and watches, you can recycle them at no cost to you whilst making money for Hypermobility Syndromes Association.

They can recycle:

• Any jewellery – gold, silver, costume jewellery, watches, broken and damaged items (like odd earrings, snapped chains or items with missing stones).

• You can donate any unwanted banknotes from ANY country of any age, so all of those obsolete pre-euro notes are a perfect start!

Our partners at Recycling for Good Causes will reuse and recycle the jewellery and Banknotes, giving the proceeds to Hypermobility Syndromes Association, saving precious raw materials at the same time.

If you would like to send your jewellery and banknote recycling to us, simply use your own envelope or jiffy bag (No bigger than A5 in size) and post free of charge by printing out the freepost label you can download here, and attaching to your envelope.

*Please do not send coins or stamps to the freepost address above*

Published: 22nd August, 2019

Updated: 2nd June, 2020

Author: Hannah Ensor

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Recycle stamps

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You can now donate your used stamps to raise funds for the Hypermobility Syndromes Association - or even gather the used stamps from your friends and colleagues too! All kinds of stamps are welcome, on or off paper.

Simply cut or carefully rip the postage stamp from the used envelope, being careful that you don’t damage the stamp, and once you have a collection pop them in an envelope making sure you have the correct postage to:

Hypermobility Syndromes Association

PO Box 16992

Sutton Coldfield

B73 9YA

(You will need to pay postage on the parcel you send)

Published: 22nd August, 2019

Updated: 2nd June, 2020

Author: Hannah Ensor

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Virtual Quiz

Virtual Quiz! Do your thing!

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Everyone needs to connect and what better way than a virtual quiz. You can host your own quiz for fun and to raise funds and awareness for the HMSA. Ask friends and family to make a donation (amount of your choosing) to enter the quiz and then let the fun begin.

Choose your platform:

Microsoft Teams, Google Hangout, Zoom*, Facebook Live etc - or go the real-time text route

Always make sure you know how to use the platform and everyone has all the required details in plenty of time.

(*free version has 40 min time limit)

Compiling your quiz:

You may like the challenge of doing research and gathering all the information together to make your own quiz. However if you don't have the time to do this just search ‘Free quiz questions and answers’ and you will find loads of helpful websites.

Most quizzes have 5 - 10 rounds normally consisting of 6-10 questions. Each round should have its own theme (Sport, TV, History etc). If you're hosting a family quiz where children will be taking part maybe theme a question in each round for them.

Make sure you consider how hard or easy your questions need to be for people you have invited.

Keeping score:

For a virtual fundraising quiz the score isn't that important, but it's always good to see who has the bragging rights until the next quiz. So read out the answers and let people honestly count up their own score.

Hosting the quiz:

Send a reminder to everyone a few hours before the event, you don’t want to be the only one playing!

Make sure everyone can at least hear you. Once they are all settled, thank them for joining in and remind them why you're putting the event on and how they can donate.

Make sure you repeat each question and answer as someone's screen is bound to freeze at the vital part of the question.

If everyone has enjoyed themselves or your competitive uncle wants a rematch, maybe suggest taking turns to put on more quizzes in the future.

Let us know how it all goes on [email protected], 

Thank you for supporting us!

Published: 20th May, 2020

Updated: 22nd May, 2020

Author: Communications Director

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Pitch Up for the HMSA

Lockdown staycation?

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With the current restrictions your holiday plans are probably on hold, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun with the family and help raise funds and awareness for the HMSA in the process.

As we can't guarantee the weather, you can pick any night or two during June and pitch your tent in the back garden. Don’t worry if you don't have a garden you could camp in the living room. All we ask is you donate a pitch fee of £10 to the HMSA to help us keep working and supporting individuals throughout these unprecedented times.

Camping is a great time to connect with the family, you could roast marshmallows, play games, bird watch and of course have a BBQ. You could encourage family and friends to join in and camp out at their house on the same nights, then maybe tell stories or have a virtual sing along video call. We would love to see and share all the fun so remember to send us your pictures via social media using #PitchUp4HMSA 

Published: 20th May, 2020

Updated: 2nd June, 2020

Author: Communications Director

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Out of the office donation

Slip a link to one of our appeals into your out of office...

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Everyones out of the office message is basically the same, why not add something different to yours. Why not add a donation link and a sentence about why you support the HMSA, this would help support the work we do and give you an ‘Out of the Office’ people will remember.

Published: 20th May, 2020

Updated: 2nd June, 2020

Author: Communications Director

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The great COVID clearout

Extending your #BigSpringClean this year? Rehome your unwanted clutter and stay out of the queue for the tip!

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Being in lockdown many of you have been busy clearing out the house of old unwanted items. As the saying goes one man's rubbish is another's treasure, so maybe think twice before joining the hour long queue for the local tip. If the item still has life in it, then maybe consider advertising it for sale or auction it and donate the profits to help us keep working and supporting individuals throughout these unprecedented times.

Published: 20th May, 2020

Updated: 2nd June, 2020

Author: Communications Director

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Perform for the HMSA

Throwing a virtual benefit show?

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Seems like all the celebrities are keeping themselves busy by performing online. If you can sing, dance, play an instrument or maybe you're amazing at magic, why don’t you put on an online performance for people on your friends list and raise funds and awareness for the HMSA at the same time. Remember to add a donation link to your performance and the funds you raise will help us keep working and supporting individuals throughout these unprecedented times.

Published: 20th May, 2020

Updated: 2nd June, 2020

Author: Communications Director

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COVID Swear box

Lockdown can be intense, so if you're finding the air is turning a little blue, get yourself a money box and turn your tongue to raising funds...

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With the endless online meetings and juggling families' needs during the lockdown, you can be forgiven for swearing from time to time. Why not make those obviously uncharacteristic word choices a way to help us out at the HMSA. Put a jar to one side and every time you do slip up just add a small donation. It’s an easy way to help us keep working and supporting individuals throughout these unprecedented times. We promise not to judge any large donations!

Published: 20th May, 2020

Updated: 2nd June, 2020

Author: Communications Director

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Donate your commute.

Are you saving on petrol, or bus fares with the changes to your usual routine? We could use the extra cash!

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If you have found yourself working from home during the recent restrictions, then you may be saving money on your daily commute. You might have had a refund from your rail or bus season ticket. Maybe you would like to donate part of your savings to the HMSA to help us keep working and supporting individuals throughout these unprecedented times.

Published: 20th May, 2020

Updated: 2nd June, 2020

Author: Communications Director

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Back to top

Showing 10 of 14

Latest

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    Communicating about hidden disabilities and symptoms (Webinar) April 2021

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    We are aware of the BSR statement and have prepared a response detailing our position on the subject.

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    This long awaited and eagerly anticipated paper has been published today on BMJ Open. Authors of this study are Joanne C Demmler, Mark D Atkinson, Emma J Reinhold, Ernest Choy, Ronan A Lyons, Sinead T Brophy.

  • What are hypermobility syndromes?

    Hypermobility syndromes is an umbrella term for a number of complex heritable disorders of the connective tissue (HDCTs) which feature among a diverse constellation of symptoms, some hypermobility in some or all of the musculoskeletal system.

  • HMSAware - Marfan syndrome, EDS is not the only 'fruit' of the hypermobility family tree

    HMSAware - Marfan syndrome, EDS is not the only 'fruit' of the hypermobility family tree

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  • Hypermobility Syndromes Association COVID19 collated resources, regularly updated.

    Hypermobility Syndromes Association COVID19 collated resources, regularly updated.

    Reliable and credible information on Coronavirus for people with hypermobility related health issues, a collation of solid advice from International, European and UK organisations dealing with associated conditions.

  • Dental health

    Dental health

    How hypermobility syndromes can affect the teeth and mouth, and how to maximise dental health.

  • HMSAware - HMSAnonQ, FAQ and the big question...

    During the 2018 HMSAware campaign we took questions from the public and formulated them into an FAQ, with an Anonymous Question on the Wednesday evening, taking a look at that perennial question of whether or not hypermobility related health problems are rare. It is reproduced below, with an update taking into account more recent UK based research.

  • Victory for Kids and Teens Social Media Volunteer!

    Victory for Kids and Teens Social Media Volunteer!

    You may have noticed the lack of posts from me again the past few weeks - but I was off fighting a better fight. Kids & teen related of course! 😊

  • Explaining an HMS to friends and family

    Explaining an HMS to friends and family

    A sample letter outlining life with a hypermobility syndrome to help loved ones understand. Written by Kirsty Turner

  • Hormones and Hypermobility

    Hormones and Hypermobility

    How various hormones interact with hypermobility, including why symptoms may worsen around menstruation and things to consider regarding hormonal contraceptives.

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