Month: October 2025

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the #TALKEndo ENDO1000 campaign launch in Edinburgh, funded by Dr Marie Macklin CBE, Marie reflects on the progress made so far and emphasises that “there is still more to do.”

In April 2024, through her ‘Special Projects’ initiative, Marie – herself a historical endometriosis sufferer, funded a strategic report and national awareness campaign to support the pioneering research being led by Professor Andrew Horne and the ENDO1000 project team at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Reproductive Health. Her aim: to shine a national spotlight on the condition and to assist women who have, or have yet to receive, an endometriosis diagnosis.

ENDO1000 is a UK-wide research project collecting data and biological samples from 1,000 individuals with confirmed or suspected endometriosis. This pioneering work will lay the foundation for personalised care and treatment, with the potential to transform countless lives by significantly improving both diagnosis and treatment.

The ENDO1000 team’s mission is to significantly reduce the lengthy diagnostic delays faced by many women, to develop personalised treatment approaches informed by real-world patient data, and to accelerate discovery through long-term, data-driven research that can shape the future of endometriosis care.

The launch event (October 2024) brought together ambassadors, project partners, donors, and invited guests, who heard directly from leading experts before touring the ENDO1000 laboratories and research hub. As Lead Ambassador, Marie issued a powerful call to action – a £1 million fundraising target to help drive the project forward.

The event gained significant national media coverage, including features on Channel 5 News, BBC Radio Scotland Drivetime, and STV, amplifying the campaign’s reach and impact. Since launch, the ENDO1000 team, ambassadors, partners and donors have worked tirelessly to raise funds – now reaching almost £500,000, halfway to the target.

This fundraising effort is not just symbolic; it is essential to the progress of the ENDO1000 project. Every pound raised helps strengthen the team’s capacity to commence the next phase of the research. Endometriosis affects an estimated 190 million women worldwide and 1.5 million in the UK, costing the UK economy around £8.2 billion each year in treatment, lost work, and healthcare costs.

Marie continues to engage with the Scottish Government regarding ENDO1000 and #TALKEndo, advocating for increased awareness and resources to support this vital work.

“We’ve made incredible strides in just one year – but this is only the beginning. We owe it to the millions of women affected to keep pushing forward, to fund the research, and to build a future where diagnosis and treatment are faster, fairer, and more effective,” said Dr Marie Macklin CBE.

She added: “The fundraising effort to date has been fantastic. However, there is still a way to go to ensure that the project can properly fulfil its hugely ambitious goals and potential. “This is a Scottish-based research project of potentially far-reaching significance, and as such it deserves as much support as possible.”

You can find out more about ENDO1000 via their website at www.endo1000.com

Tuesday 21^st October 2025

Last year, Marie hosted the Faith Leaders Summit at HALO, creating an opportunity for the faith community to come together to discuss the most pressing issues affecting local people and how best to support some of the most vulnerable in society. These conversations led to the design and delivery of a campaign aimed at supporting those over 66 to access the Attendance Allowance HUB, potentially providing up to an additional £108.55 per week to help offset the removal of the winter heating allowance.

In addition, Marie made donations to the EACHA project and St. Joseph’s Church to support their Christmas food provision activities. On Tuesday 21 October 2025, she visited both organisations to catch up on progress and hear about their plans for the upcoming festive season.

Marie met with Fr Stephen McGrattan, Fr Kevin Rennie, and Margaret from St. Joseph’s Church.

The visit provided an opportunity to hear about the current challenges facing the local community as well as the incredible work being carried out by the parish. Encouragingly, the church has seen an increase in engagement from younger people, and its popular community café brings together members of the congregation every Tuesday from 11am to 1pm, offering conversation, company, and tea, coffee and cake.

The church also highlighted how the HALO EV Bus has been a huge support to parishioners, helping them attend church and community trips, reducing travel costs, and increasing participation. In addition, the HALO Pensioner Attendance Allowance Hub has been a great success, with many parishioners now receiving the full allowance they were previously unaware they could claim.

Marie reaffirmed her commitment to supporting St. Joseph’s again this Christmas, including providing free use of the HALO EV Bus for community projects.

Marie also visited Steph McCutcheon and Rev. David Cameron at the new EACHA HQ on John Dickie Street, Kilmarnock.

East Ayrshire Churches Homelessness Action (EACHA) was established in 2005 and provides practical support to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, offering a non-judgemental space for food, friendship and support. Marie was delighted to see first-hand the work taking place at their new hub.

The discussion focused on the challenges faced by service users, including housing, addiction and employability, as well as the urgent need for changes to government policy. Funding pressures across the sector remain a major concern, with new models of public and private sector partnership seen as crucial to ensuring sustainability.

During the visit, Marie donated “Angel & Dove”, an original Gerard Burns painting, to EACHA’s new premises. She also pledged continued support for their Christmas food and lunch provision and discussed a pilot for a new HALO community housing, employment and health model designed to generate income and strengthen EACHA’s future operations.

….

“We live in a time when community, hope, care and compassion are required more than ever.” Dr Marie Macklin CBE