Borne funds and coordinates research into premature birth, to prevent babies being born too soon. The ‘Borne Uterine Mapping Project’ (BUMP) is one of Borne’s flagship programmes – an international biobanking and data-gathering project that will lay the foundation for research to improve the outlook for mothers and babies around the world.
In 2025, the Borne team were looking to fundraise for the next phase of BUMP, and so were updating a Case for Support for the project. But because of the complexity and scope of BUMP, they needed extra science communication support to help get across what it will achieve.
I worked with Borne to understand the science of this vast project, interviewing the team leading the research. For the Case for Support, we created clear and evidenced answers to important questions that donors will be asking. This included the need for the project, the different parts of it, the potential impact, and why Borne is best placed to deliver it. I also created a glossary to translate all the technical terms of the project, to support the team in future fundraising appeals.
The team at Borne have been using Case for Support to help with their fundraising for BUMP – and quickly won a multi-million pound donation towards the project.
David Badcock, Chief Executive Officer of Borne, said:
“Richard Berks has an exceptional ability to translate complex scientific research into clear, engaging language that resonates with a broad audience.
“Richard was instrumental in strengthening our Case for Support for BUMP, our flagship research initiative, ensuring it was both compelling and persuasive. This played a pivotal role in helping us successfully secure a £2m donation towards this project.
“Thank you again for your help, it’s definitely made a difference.”