Today we announce a "choose to give" campaign in honor of Charlotte's birthday July 13. Join us in making this dream happen and make medical history. Play some small part, or a big part, but take your place as one of the people who solves the puzzle of eating disorders by supporting this project. It's a heck of a way to raise funds for research but if not us, who?

Many thanks to Felicity McKee, at Disordered Reality blog site, for joining the Helix research volunteers. Our friends at Kings College London report we have reached 250 recruits for the study, one quarter of our goal!

"...when I read up about Charlottes Helix and their research into finding the genetic markers I wanted to help out to0. It is really simple, literally a blood test." 

Charlotte's dream to have the UK included in the international AN25K initiative is coming true: DNA sample by DNA sample. Each participant MATTERS, and is so appreciated. By participating, or by donating to make the sampling possible, we are all moving toward the true goal: of cracking the code on what predisposes people to develop eating disorders and how we can best treat and even prevent these devastating conditions.

All of us Helix supporters are grateful to you, Felicity, for joining the study and for spreading the word. Thank you to all the generous bloggers, tweeters, Facebook posters, tea hosts, and volunteers!

Charlotte’s Helix was celebrating with Sarah Robertson as she received a Beat Volunteer Recognition Award at the House of Commons last week, for her campaigning work involving eating disorders.  The ceremony was supported and opened by Caroline Nokes (MP for Romsey and Southampton North), and we would like to offer our further congratulations to all of the award winners and to everyone nominated across all nine categories.

Sarah and her friend Ilona Burton took the opportunity of being in London for this event to visit Kings College’s De Crespigny Park campus where they donated blood samples for the Charlotte’s Helix project, and they took to Twitter to encourage others to do the same.  Thank you to both of you; we appreciate your support and our registrations have shown an upturn since your efforts.

Anyone London based or London bound* is more than welcome to pass by KCL and donate DNA too (call for appointments on Freephone 0800 995 1999 or email bioresource@kcl.ac.uk).  Those not able to get to the KCL team in the capital can obtain a pack to provide DNA (either blood or saliva) to be posted to KCL – DNA from both sources is welcome for the project - call the Freephone number or write to the email address to connect with a team ready to give details and to post out consent forms and packs.  The hotline number for any questions that can’t be answered via the Freephone number or for anyone having trouble getting connected is 020 7848 5381.

Thank you @sarah_robbo and @ilonacatherine, and thank you to all the others who have registered since to follow in the footsteps of our pioneers – Charlotte’s Helix salutes each and every one of you!

* no travel expenses can be paid, unfortunately

A group of F.E.A.S.T. families in Melbourne held a tea March 2 to celebrate Charlotte Bevan and raise money for Charlotte's Helix. $300 AUS (£160) was raised, and a good time had by all! Thank you so much to 

Are you near Sydney, Australia? Please join a tea on March 6 at the Petty Cash Cafe.

In Birmingham, UK? There's a tea on March 21 planned.

Do you want to gather your friends for tea to support Charlotte's Helix? Please let us know so we can post, and celebrate with you!

Dr. Cynthia Bulik, the researcher behind the AN25K challenge, wrote on her blog yesterday about advocacy, genomics, and Charlotte's Helix.

Laura Collins, a founder of F.E.A.S.T. and a member of the Charlotte's Helix Steering Committee, was in attendance at the meeting Bulik discusses. She adds, "What an pleasure to see eating disorders take center stage at a meeting of mental health advocates like this. Seeing Charlotte Bevan's photo on the screen and her work discussed at NIMH was both moving and so very appropriate!"