As part of Echo Research's Ethics and Environment Programme employees are able to support their chosen charity for a day during the working week, so in order to take full advantage of getting out of the office, I decided to offer my time to the PSP Association!

PSP stands for Progressive Supranucleur Palsy and is a debilitating, terminal illness that leaves the person living with it unable to walk, talk, see, or swallow. There is currently no cure or treatment for the disease. See the infographic for first signs and symptoms of the illness.

My volunteer work for the PSP Association consisted of helping out at a support group meeting, where carers and those living with PSP could meet health care professionals, and more generally have informal discussions with each other. In addition to these goodwill efforts, I also lent a hand last Sunday, on London Marathon Day.

The day's activities consisted of blowing up balloons, precariously balancing on my boyfriend's shoulders to affix directional signs to lampposts to guide the runners to our 'after party', cheering on and congratulating the fabulous athletes, ensuring that food was plentiful and the runners were catered for, and not least, to raise awareness of PSP.

This week is awareness week 2012 for the PSP Association; "A million to beat PSP". Please help us to raise awareness of this cruel disease by 'following' and 'liking' the PSP Association. The disease is often mis-diagnosed and is still relatively unknown, even by health care professionals, so every little bit of increased awareness helps!