Research Charity Seeks 'Friends'

The UK's registered MR charity, the Market Research Benevolent Association (MRBA), is launching a 'Become a Friend' campaign at this week's Insight Show in London. The move aims to increase the number of its regular donors at a time when requests for help are growing fast.

The independent charity helps people from the industry and their immediate families experiencing financial hardship.

'As the current economic climate continues to bite, the number of people coming to us for help has almost doubled in the past six months' explains Chairman Ian Brace. 'Most of them need some form of grant or loan to tide them over an unexpected illness, accident, redundancy or sudden death of a loved one.'

Explaining the latest move, Brace continues: 'As our membership has remained stable for the past few years, while the number of people needing our help has increased, there is a clear need to revitalise and increase our membership base.'

The charity stresses that membership of the MRS is not a requirement - the decision to use the term 'friends' instead of members comes in part from a desire to correct this misconception. The cost of 'friendship' is just over £2 a month.

'We have deliberately kept the annual rate low', explains Brace, 'and we're more than happy to accept smaller one-off donations as well. In addition, we will continue to encourage 'Friends' to become Life-time Friends for a donation of £250 or more.'

Founded in 1977, the MRBA works with interviewers, supervisors, field managers, office-based support staff, researchers, managers, directors, and consultants and can be contacted on 0845 652 0303 or by email at marketresearchba@yahoo.co.uk .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.