It is the third year staff members from the University have taken part in the initiative throughout the month of February, having previously dominated the nationwide leadership board by regularly placing in the Top 10 teams.
Jan Short, Database Support Assistant at the University is the lead organiser of TeamLboro, having been personally impacted by encephalitis when her daughter was diagnosed with the condition in September 2011.
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain caused by an infection invading the brain or through the immune system attacking the brain in error. Anyone can be affected by the condition – regardless of age, sex or ethnicity – and approximately 500,000 adults and children are impacted by encephalitis. There are up to 6,000 cases in the UK each year.
All colleagues are encouraged to sign up for the challenge and should not feel they have to raise money – the focus is on raising awareness of the condition. Those who take part can choose to walk, jog or run and can manually add to their step count at any point in February.
Additionally, the University Fountain and Hazlerigg Building will be lit up red from 13-27 February, in support of the #Red4WED campaign.