Campaign by Story
We’re a small charity. We always have been.
We receive no funding from the NHS or the government – no safety net, no guaranteed income, nothing to fall back on if things get hard. What we do have is a small, dedicated team of headache specialists doing focused, high impact work for the one in seven adults and one in ten children affected by migraine and other primary headaches.
And we have you.
Because without you we have no future. We need your help.
This summer, we're asking our supporters to help us do what we've always done: make a big difference, on a small budget, for people who have nowhere else to turn.
Small charity, big difference
The National Migraine Centre is the only charity in the UK dedicated to diagnosing and treating migraine and other primary headaches. We're independent of the NHS and receive no funding from the NHS or government.
Because we're small, every pound is used carefully – and we want you to see exactly what it does. Over 97 pence in every pound goes directly into running our clinic, research and medical costs.
Over the last year, with your support, we:
• provided 2,833 consultations
• grew our specialist clinical team to 24 headache specialist GPs, neurologists and nurses, up from just three several years ago
• spent less than three per cent of our total costs on fundraising and governance combined.
That's what 'small charity, big difference' means to us: tight overheads, a focused team, and a direct line between your donation and the care someone receives.
You were there for me, and I am here for you. – National Migraine Centre patient
When you give, you see the difference
Every year, more people come to us because of our expertise – and also because headache care is so hard to access. GPs receive very little training in migraine and headache, and NHS clinics are under huge pressure, with long waiting lists for those who need specialist support. For many, we are the last resort.
A lifeline to migraine sufferers who cannot access the correct treatment! Thank you for all your hard work. – National Migraine Centre supporter
Still here, still fighting – together
For over 46 years, the National Migraine Centre has been here – through recessions, a pandemic, and every other challenge we have faced with no government backing.
We're still here because, every time, people like you kept showing up.
Some of you have been supporters for years. Some of you were once our patients and came back to help others get the care that helped you. Either way, you're part of the reason we can say, after 46 years: we're still here, and we're still fighting.
Your support and expertise is unmatched, and the provision of donation-based appointments enables accessible, equitable care.
The NMC literally changed my life. I had chronic migraine for all my life, from the earliest memory to just a few years ago – that's 50 years of headaches. Thank you for saving me.
Thank you for all the amazing work you do helping people with migraine and raising awareness of the condition. You have made a real difference to me and many, many others.
These are just a few of the messages we receive alongside donations – from patients, from family members, from people who've simply heard about what we do and want to help. Every one of them is a reminder of why our work matters, and why we can't stop now.
Migraine is still misunderstood. It's still underfunded. For too many people, it's still dismissed as 'just a headache'. But for as long as we're here, no one affected by migraine has to face that alone.
We're a small charity. But together, we make a big difference – and we're still here because you keep showing up for us.
Will you help us keep going for another year?