FOP Australia are proud to release the  Annual Report for financial year 2018/19 which was presented to members at FOP Australia’s Annual General Meeting on October 29th.

We are pleased to announce that due to a overwhelming successful fundraising year we have been able to donate $75,000 to research, with $70,000 going to the International FOP Association (IFOPA) and $5,000 to the Shore Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. This would not have been possible without the ongoing support of our community.

Although we are incredibly proud of the contribution to FOP research, this year the board has also reflected upon how we can fulfill the organisation’s mission to also provide support to people with FOP and their families. During the 2018/19 year the Support Grant Program was prepared for launch, thanks to the help of our independent selection and advisory panel: Michelle Davis from IFOPA, Dr Felicity Collins and occupational therapist Georgie Hyder. This has been launched since the end of the 2018/19 financial year, so please stay tuned for further updates.

This year has seen several families in our region face a new diagnosis of FOP. As we welcome them to FOP Australia, this highlights the critical importance of expediting the work towards a cure, and of supporting each other through a disease that is poorly understood.

Also this year we initiated our first FOP Australia and New Zealand Community Survey. It was an important step for the Board to receive direct feedback on key issues and strategic priorities. The survey was sent to all members of the Australia and NZ families and patient group. We had 31 people respond with further details provided in our annual report. Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey, it helped us to prioritise our goals for the future and gave us a benchmark to work with.

You can read more about what we have achieved in the report, which includes our financial statements and independent auditor’s report, and ideas for how you can help.

Thank you again for your support in 2018/2019, and we look forward to sharing more exciting news with you soon.