The Market Research Benevolent Association (MRBA) is the market research industry's independent, registered charity. We provide financial assistance to people who work or who have worked in our industry. Over the years we have helped hundreds of people and their families- regardless of their level- who are experiencing financial hardship because of an illness, injury, bereavement, carer responsibility, or other personal problem.
Linda Henshall's youngest son Tony is taking the 3 peaks challenge to raise money for us.
"During 24 hours starting around 4am on Saturday 11th September and finishing sometime Sunday. I will be attempting to walk to the summits of the three tallest mountains in each of Scotland (Ben Nevis at 1,343m), England, (Scafell Pike at 978m) and Wales (Mount Snowdon at 1,085m).
"During this time there will be no proper rest or sleep other than what I can get whilst travelling between mountains in a mini-bus....
"As an extra incentive to spur me up and down the 26 miles I thought I would try to raise money for a charity and have decided upon the Market Research Benevolent Association."
Cheques payable to the MRBA can be sent c/o The New Fieldwork Company, 3 Simplemarsh Road, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 1QH, or you can make donations directly via Tony's justgiving website at http://www.justgiving.com/TonyHenshall-MRBA. If you are a UK tax payer, please be sure to tick the box so that the MRBA gets an extra 20% on your donation.
Thanks so much for your support.
We would like to thank GfKNOP, The Insight Show and KantarOperations for supporting us. Your company or organisation can become a 'Corporate Friend' or 'Corporate Patron' too. Find out more by clicking on our Information Sheets on the navigation bar to the left. Or ring 0845 652 0303 for more information, or download a copy of our application from the 'Become a Friend' section' to the left.
The MRBA really appreciates the continual support provided by the attendees at the annual BIG Conference. This year's raffle raised £940 for us and we are very grateful. Thank you.
Thanks to all our donors and bidders, we raised over £5,500 at this year's online charity auction! This is a big increase on last year's total of £3,500. The auction ran from 15 March-15 April and during that time, 146 registered users viewed 1,460 items. This means people came back to the site several times. A total of 351 bids were made and 218 items were sold. Thanks so much for all your support and generosity given these difficult economic times.
The MRBA exists to help anyone who works or has worked in market research from researchers and interviewers, to office staff and independents.
In complete confidence, the MRBA gives financial help to people who are sick; who have been bereaved; who have had an accident, or who have suffered misfortune in any other way. Current or previous membership in the Market Research Society or the MRBA is not required.
The MRBA may give an outright grant or make a loan. And sometimes we can supplement an applicant's' income for a time when adverse circumstances reduce the applicant's ability to earn a living. Of course, every claim has to be investigated carefully, but we are as generous as we can afford to be.
Now you may know all this, but one of the biggest problems is that not everybody in the industry does -- and we can’t help in a case that we don’t know about.
Please make your colleagues and other friends across the industry aware of the MRBA and ensure that they let people in need know of our existence. Please go to the Information Sheets section for a copy of our applicant's Information Sheet.
If you or any one you know may need our help, please contact Danielle Scott, the MRBA's Secretary/Treasurer by email at info@mrba.org.uk, or ring 0845 652 03030. You can be assured any enquiry will be treated as strictly confidential:
To apply for help, you will need to fill in an application form. Our form is quite detailed and may appear daunting, especially if you are not well or if you are under stress. Please don't worry. One of our Regional Managers will be delighted to support you throughout the application process either over the telephone or in person. Please contact Danielle Scott, our Secretary/Treasurer on 0845 652 0303 for a copy of the application form.
All cases are reviewed by the MRBA Committee which meets every six weeks. Where situations are urgent, a decision can be made more quickly. Your Regional Manager will let you know whether and how we are able to assist you.
Since the MRBA was set up over 30 years ago, we have helped hundreds of people and their families in the industry get through some very difficult financial situations. With their permission, here are some examples of what the donations from MRBA supporters have meant to them:
From a lady we helped intermittently for several years:
'I can't thank you enough for everything you have done over the last few years. Please thank everybody for their kindness and understanding. I feel such a burden, but honestly, I do not know what I would have done without the MRBA to turn to.'
From a lady suffering from a serious illness while her mother was dying of cancer:
'I would like to thank you for all your kindness in helping me through this difficult time. I am so grateful to the MRBA.
From a gentleman suffering from a nervous breakdown who we helped by paying for the repairs to his leaking roof:
'I am so grateful to the MRBA for its assistance. This grant has impacted directly and substantially on my quality of life. Further, it has given me greater piece of mind about an issue that was making me extremely anxious.'
To read more about how we helped 'Steve', and 'Cassandra' click here .
As uncertainty in the economy continues, there are even more people in our industry experiencing financial difficulties Last year, the number of application we received grew to twice that of the previous year, and three times that of earlier years.
Like all charities, we depend on the generous donations of people like you, so we can continue to help those in our industry who need it most.
Now more than ever, the MRBA needs more 'Friends'
 To respond to this increased demand for our help, we are revitalising our current membership and have launched the 'MRBA Friends Campaign' to increase awareness of the much needed support we provide, as well as help raise additional funds.
You and/or your company can support us by becoming an MRBA Friend. Even if you have supported us in the past, maybe now you might consider renewing that 'friendship' knowing your financial assistance can really make a difference to someone who may have no where else to turn. The categories of Friend include:
Individual Friend - £25/year minimum
Lifetime Friend - one-time minimum payment of £250
Corporate Friend - £100/ year minimum
Corporate Patron - £500/year minimum or an equivalent 'gift in kind'.
To keep administration costs low, everyone is being asked to pay by direct debit. All Friends receive a copy of our bi-annual newsletter, Helping Hand ,which updates them on our activities and caseload. Individual and Lifetime Friends are invited to attend and vote at our Annual General Meetings, while Corporate Patrons receive an acknowledgement on our web site and in other promotional materials.
To become a Friend please click here for an application form. Please be sure to sign the form in both places, so we can make use of your Gift Aid Declaration.
For more information on other ways that you can support the MRBA, please see our Information Sheet for Supporters by clicking here.
So we can continue to offer the current levels of support, the MRBA also needs the help of donors for our annual auction and volunteers to help out at events. If you would like to help, become a 'Friend' or send us a one-off donation, please contact Danielle Scott on 0845 652 0303, or visit our online donation site here.
Or to make a single, tax efficient donation online through Justgiving, please click this link to be taken to the Justgiving web site.
Please be sure to visit the news page to find out more about what we are doing.
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