Company registration number: 14391671
Charity registration number: 1202130 Charity registration number- Scotland: SC054003
MEAction UK
(A company limited by guarantee) Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 October 2025
Community Accounting Plus Units 1 & 2 North West 41 Talbot Street Nottingham NG1 5GL
MEAction UK
Contents
| Reference and Administrative Details | 1 |
|---|---|
| Trustees' Report | 2 to 7 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 8 to 9 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 10 to 11 |
| Balance Sheet | 12 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 13 to 18 |
MEAction UK
Reference and Administrative Details
Trustees Denise Spreag, Chair Janet Sylvester Malcolm Bailey Charity Registration Number 1202130 England and Wales SC054003 Scotland Company Registration Number 14391671 Registered Office 10 Belsize Park Mews London NW3 5BL Independent Examiner Eva Stevens, employee of Community Accounting Plus Units 1 & 2 North West 41 Talbot Street Nottingham NG1 5GL
Page 1
MEAction UK
Trustees' Report
The trustees, who are directors for the purposes of company law, present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 October 2025.
Trustees and officers
The trustees and officers serving during the year and since the year end were as follows:
Trustees:
Denise Spreag, Chair Janet Sylvester Malcolm Bailey
Structure, governance and management
Nature of governing document
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and registered charity. It is operated under the rules of its memorandum and articles of association dated 02/10/2022 and most recently amended 21/10/2024. It has no share capital and the liability of each member in the event of winding-up is limited to £1.
Objectives and activities
Objects and aims
The objects of the charity are, for the benefit of the public, the provision of relief, the Advancement of health, and the advancement and promotion of education in connection with myalgic encephalomyelitis ("me") (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome) and other complex, chronic illnesses including post infectious illnesses in particular but not exclusively by: (a) raising awareness and public understanding of me and other complex, chronic illnesses (including but not limited to long covid); (b) providing information, advice and support; and (c) advancing research into me and other complex, chronic illnesses (provided that the useful results of any such research are disseminated to the general public). Nothing in this constitution shall authorise an application of the property of the charity for the purposes which are not charitable in accordance with section 7 of the charities and trustee investment (Scotland) act 2005 and section 2 of the charities act (Northern Ireland) 2008.
Our work centres around empowering/enabling people with ME and other complex, chronic illnesses (including post infectious illnesses). At present, the focus is on supporting people with ME but we may also focus on other complex, chronic illnesses in future. We carry out activities that improve the understanding of ME and help to relieve sickness through better treatment and public understanding.
Public benefit
We carry out activities that improve the understanding of ME and help to relieve sickness through better treatment and public understanding.
The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
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MEAction UK
Trustees' Report
Achievements and performance
Overview
MEAction UK is a UK charity and our work centres around empowering/enabling people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and other complex, chronic illnesses (including post infectious illnesses). We carry out activities that improve the understanding of ME and help to relieve sickness through better treatment and public understanding. We are volunteer run by people with ME, families and allies.
Parliament
We have concentrated our Parliamentary work in Scotland this year as, despite committing to do so in 2022, the Scottish Government has not implemented the NICE guideline. There is only one specialist service in Scotland and no specialist nurses.
MEAction Scotland volunteers met with Jenni Minto MSP, Minister for Public Health and Women's Health, along with staff from the Scottish Government's Clinical Priorities team. Jenni Minto was appointed as Minister in March 2023. The aim was to brief her on the key issues for people living with ME, and ask her to take urgent action to implement the NICE guideline in Scotland and fund training and education for healthcare professionals based on its recommendations. The urgent need for support for people with ME, including children and young people was also discussed. We are meeting again in April to discuss the budget funding and implementation of NICE.
Due to our campaigning ME was mentioned in the Scottish Budget for 2025-2026 for the first time and £4.5m allocated to services for people with ME/LC and similar conditions.
We also contributed to 6 Consultations:
-
●Disability Commissioner Bill (NAoS) May 2024
-
●Assisted Dying Consultation (NAoS) August 2024
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●Adult Disability Payment Independent Review August 2024
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●MyNeuro Survey Oct 2024
We enlisted the support of MSPs to chase Health Boards about gaps in data in the Scottish Government 2022 survey of ME services in Scotland, and as a result the SG reran the survey and published an updated report.
We held a successful Information Stand in the Scottish Parliament in January 2025 and engaged with 63 MSPs over 3 days. #MEAction Scotland and ME were mentioned in debate in the Women's Health Plan.
A successful Parliamentary Question campaign resulted in 17 PQs asked about ME by eight different MSPs.
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MEAction UK
Trustees' Report
We asked Wes Streeting and Andrew Gwynne MP if they would commit to challenge and change the neglect of people with ME and push the Department of Health and Social Care - DHSC to publish a plan that contains more than warm wishes and good intentions and the National Institute for Health and Care Research to commit significant research funds.
In February 2025, in a statement to parliament, Ashley Dalton MP minister for public health and replacement for Andrew Gwynne MP, said: “There are currently no plans to allocate additional funding towards the myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue final delivery plan.” This is a blow for all those with ME, especially the severe and very severely affected. This is an unacceptable outcome to a process that started in August 2023 and has demanded a great deal of input from the ME community who now feel abandoned. We will continue to campaign until the government and research funders commit to funding ME research in parity with other diseases.
In July 2025 we published our response to the DHSC’s ME/CFS Delivery Plan. MEAction UK are very disappointed by the content of the Plan. Minimal sums of money have been committed to ME research. £1.4 million and a competitive award do not replace the millions of pounds missing from ME research and care.
Awareness and Public Understanding
In March 2025 we took a stand at the #RCPCH25 conference for Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health talking to paediatricians and explaining how they can help children and young people with ME.
In May 2025 our response to the recent opinion piece, 'Patients with severe ME/CFS need hope and expert multidisciplinary care' in the BMJ was published.
We are disappointed by the BMJ’s commissioning and publication of this opinion piece which advances a biopsychosocial framework for ME that is outdated, unscientific, and potentially harmful, especially for those with severe and very severe illness.
https://ow.ly/vsOE50VVoEx
MillionsMissing
MEAction UK
Every year we run #MillionsMissing campaign on behalf of people with ME.
May 12th is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Awareness Day. On this day, the #MillionsMissing with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) gather to demand an increase in research and care for people with ME. In the UK people with ME finally had the possibility of significant research funding from the government through the ME/CFS Delivery Plan. With no money allocated to date in the Delivery Plan hopes of progress are dwindling. Now we want to make sure that people with ME get the money desperately needed to fund research.
In the UK we are concentrating on getting research into ME fully funded in the ME/CFS Delivery Plan. We asked people to use all our tools and their own imagination to craft an SOS that can’t be ignored and send an SOS to the government, the Medical Research Council (MRC), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) using the addresses below.
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MEAction UK
Trustees' Report
#MEAction Scotland
The Scottish Government included £4.5m in the Scottish Budget to deliver specialist support for ME, Long Covid and other similar conditions. #MEAction Scotland's rally outside the Scottish Parliament put pressure on the Scottish Government to set out how they will make the pledged funding a reality.
Paul Sweeney MSP, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, Ben Macpherson MSP, Sue Webber MSP, Brian Whittle MSP, Alexander Burnett MSP, Foysol Choudhury MSP, Katy Clark MSP, Murdo Fraser MSP, Christine Grahame MSP, Rachael Hamilton MSP, Monica Lennon MSP, Michael Marra MSP, Oliver Mundell MSP, Alex Rowley MSP, Colin Smyth MSP, Alexander Stewart MSP and Tess White MSP were all part of the day.
The Minister for Public Health and Women's Health, Jenni Minto MSP, also joined to speak and confirmed that their government is discussing with Scottish Health Boards how the allocated funding could be spent and highlighting that the NICE Guideline needs to be followed over the, now outdated, Scottish Good Practice Statement.
NHS Education for Scotland published the CPD module on ME for GPs which we have been campaigning for since 2018, Groups of GPs, General Practice Nurses and Pharmacists/Technicians have studied the module since publishing the Practice Based Small Group Learning (PBSGL) module in May 2024.
We ran 3 clinical awareness sessions: a GP study group, a GP practice in East Lothian, a Medical English group for refugee doctors. We promoted Learn about ME podcasts, including one where an #MEAction Scotland volunteered as a guest.
Community
We continue to support the campaign to highlight the flaws in Cochrane’s stance on reassessing its exercise therapy review for ME/CFS. We are supporting a petition to request an update of the description of ME/CFS in Kumar and Clark’s Clinical Medicine textbook. The next edition of Kumar and Clark’s Clinical Medicine is due in 2025 and forms part of medical education so it's vital the text is correct.
In January 2025 the original analysis, with its methodological flaws and omission of key data, remained entirely unchanged - except for its publication date. Cochrane edited it to read 2024: a decade after any of the peer-reviewed sources cited. This undermines public trust in research and highlights the need for a more ethical and inclusive approach to systematic review.
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MEAction UK
Trustees' Report
We’re delighted to be one of 15 organisations backing a new policy brief calling on the government to commit to an NHS that’s there for Long Covid & ME. The policy brief is part of #ThereForME, a new campaign calling for an NHS that’s there for people with ME and Long Covid. We’re asking the government to: Commit to an NHS that is there for people with ME and Long Covid and put this into action by prioritising publication of the cross-government delivery plan on ME/CFS.
We shared the call to the ME Community to help gather more signatures on this petition for Urgent Call for the Creation of an NHS Protocol for Severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.).
We continued to campaign for Millie and Karen, ME patients in hospital who are at risk of starvation due to lack of total parenteral nutrition or tube feeding.
Promoting Research
We appealed to the UK community to sign an urgent letter to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), demanding that the NIH fund the ME/CFS Research Roadmap. The roadmap was developed by a working group of foremost experts on ME and community members (including #MEAction). The roadmap outlines how to advance ME/CFS research with a focus on delivering clinical trials. However, the NIH has dedicated no money to fund this critical roadmap.
Financial review
The Trustees were pleased to receive a major donation which has enabled them to employ professional management tools and plan significant actions. They are satisfied with the financial position of the charity.
Policy on reserves
We would like to keep reserves to cover 3 months of activities.
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MEAction UK
Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of MEAction UK ('the Company')
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of MEAction UK ('the Company')
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 October 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (‘the 2005 Act’), the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’). You are satisfied that the accounts of the Company are not required by charity or company law to be audited and have chosen instead to have an independent examination.
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the Company’s accounts carried out under section 44 (1) (c) of the 2005 Act and section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the requirements of Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
Since MEAction UK is required by company law to prepare its accounts on an accruals basis and is registered as a charity in Scotland your examiner must be a member of a body listed in Regulation 11(2) of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) , which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records with the accounting requirements of Regulation 8 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006; or
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)].
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MEAction UK
Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of MEAction UK ('the Company')
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
...................................... Eva Stevens, BSc, CPFA, employee of Community Accounting Plus member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
Units 1 & 2 North West 41 Talbot Street Nottingham NG1 5GL
17/06/2026 Date:.............................
Page 9
MEAction UK
Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 October 2025 (Including Income and Expenditure Account and Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses)
| Note Income and Endowments from: Donations and legacies 2 Charitable activities 3 Investment income 5 Total income Expenditure on: Charitable activities 6 Total expenditure Net income/(expenditure) Transfers between funds Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward 9 |
Unrestricted funds £ 28,043 352 2 28,397 (2,663) (2,663) 25,734 (10) 25,724 1,480 27,204 |
Restricted funds £ - 2,000 - 2,000 (2,010) (2,010) (10) 10 - - - |
Total 2025 £ 28,043 2,352 2 30,397 (4,673) (4,673) 25,724 - 25,724 1,480 27,204 |
Total 2024 £ 1,179 - - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,179 | ||||
| (244) | ||||
| (244) | ||||
| 935 - |
||||
| 935 545 |
||||
| 1,480 |
All of the charity's activities derive from continuing operations during the above two periods. The funds breakdown for the period is shown in note 9.
The notes on pages 13 to 18 form an integral part of these financial statements. Page 10
MEAction UK
Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 October 2025 (Including Income and Expenditure Account and Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses)
These are the figures for the previous accounting period and are included for comparative purposes
| Note Income and Endowments from: Donations and legacies 2 Total income Expenditure on: Charitable activities 6 Total expenditure Net income Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward 9 |
Unrestricted funds £ 1,179 1,179 (244) (244) 935 935 545 1,480 |
Total 2024 £ 1,179 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,179 | ||
| (244) | ||
| (244) | ||
| 935 | ||
| 935 545 |
||
| 1,480 |
The notes on pages 13 to 18 form an integral part of these financial statements. Page 11
| BalanceSheetasat3 | 1Octotler20 | 25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| hlote | 2025 f, |
2824 f, |
|
| Currentassets | |||
| Cash atbankandinharrd | 7 | 29,260 | 1,480 |
| Creditors:Amountsfatlingduewithinoneyear | 8 | (1,056) | |
| Netassets | 2',7,204_ | 1,480 | |
| Fundsofthe rharity; | |||
| Ijnrestrictedincomefunds | |||
| Unrestrictedfunds | 27,204 | 1,480 | |
| Totalfunds | e | *_n_201___lll!q |
MEAction UK
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 October 2025
1 Accounting policies
Summary of significant accounting policies and key accounting estimates
The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated.
Statement of compliance
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)) (issued in October 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
Basis of preparation
MEAction UK meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.
Going concern
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.
The trustees assess whether the use of going concern is appropriate i.e. whether there are any material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The trustees make this assessment in respect of a period of one year from the date of approval of the financial statements.
Exemption from preparing a cash flow statement
Under the exemption available to smaller charities the Board of Trustees has chosen not to include a Statement of Cash Flows within the financial statements.
Expenditure
All expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to that expenditure, it is probable settlement is required and the amount can be measured reliably. All costs are allocated to the applicable expenditure heading that aggregate similar costs to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of resources, with central staff costs allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges allocated on the portion of the asset’s use. Other support costs are allocated based on the spread of staff costs.
Charitable activities
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
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MEAction UK
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 October 2025
Taxation
The charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and call deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value.
Fund structure
Unrestricted income funds are general funds that are available for use at the trustees' discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds set aside for specific purposes at the discretion of the trustees.
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MEAction UK
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 October 2025
2 Income from donations and legacies
| Donations and legacies; Donations from individuals Grants, including capital grants; Grants from other charities |
Unrestricted funds General £ 3,043 25,000 28,043 |
Total 2025 £ 3,043 25,000 28,043 |
Total 2024 £ 1,179 - |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,179 |
3 Income from charitable activities
| Unrestricted funds Designated £ Grants & donations - Sales & fees 352 352 4 Grants & donations The Clear Foundation General Donations 5 Investment income Interest receivable and similar income; Interest receivable on bank deposits |
Restricted funds £ 2,000 - 2,000 Unrestricted funds £ 25,000 3,043 28,043 Unrestricted funds General £ 2 |
Total 2025 £ 2,000 352 2,352 Restricted funds £ - 2,000 2,000 Total 2025 £ 2 |
Total 2024 £ - - |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| Total £ 25,000 5,043 |
|||
| 30,043 | |||
| Total 2024 £ - |
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MEAction UK
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 October 2025
6 Expenditure on charitable activities
| Travel Activities & trips Legal & professional Printing, posting & stationery Sundry payments Volunteer training IT Costs Insurance |
Unrestricted funds Designated £ General £ - 322 628 195 - 1,090 - 151 40 - - 216 - 21 - - 668 1,995 |
Restricted funds £ - 1,657 250 19 - - - 84 2,010 |
Total 2025 £ 322 2,480 1,340 170 40 216 21 84 4,673 |
Total 2024 £ 244 - - - - - - - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 244 |
7 Cash and cash equivalents
| Cash at bank 8 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Accruals |
2025 £ 28,260 2025 £ 1,056 |
2024 £ 1,480 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 £ - |
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MEAction UK
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 October 2025
9 Funds
| 9 Funds |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds General General Fund Designated MEAction Scotland Designated Fund Total unrestricted funds Restricted funds MEAction Scotland Fund Total funds |
Balance at 1 November 2024 £ - 1,480 1,480 - 1,480 |
Incoming resources £ 28,045 352 28,397 2,000 30,397 |
Resources expended £ (1,995) (668) (2,663) (2,010) (4,673) |
Transfers £ (10) - (10) 10 - |
Balance at 31 October 2025 £ 26,040 1,164 |
| 27,204 - |
|||||
| 27,204 |
The specific purposes for which the funds are to be applied are as follows:
MEAction Scotland Fund- This is funding to support #MEAction Scotland activites and campaigns.
MEAction Scotland Designated Fund- This is funding for activities that only take place in Scotland.
The transfer from the General fund to the MEAction Scotland Fund is to cover the deficit on this activity.
| Unrestricted funds Designated MEAction Scotland Designated Fund |
Balance at 1 November 2023 £ 545 |
Incoming resources £ 1,179 |
Resources expended £ (244) |
Balance at 31 October 2024 £ 1,480 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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MEAction UK
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 October 2025
10 Analysis of net assets between funds
Unrestricted
| Current assets Current liabilities Total net assets Current assets |
General £ 27,096 (1,056) 26,040 |
Designated £ 1,164 - 1,164 Unrestricted General £ 1,480 |
2025 Total funds £ 28,260 (1,056) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27,204 | |||
| 2024 Total funds £ 1,480 |
11 Fees payable to independent examiner
During the period, the fees payable (excluding VAT) to the charity’s independent examiner Community Accounting Plus are analysed as follows:
| Independent examination | 2025 £ 880 880 |
2024 £ - |
|---|---|---|
| - |
12 Taxation
The charity is a registered charity and is therefore exempt from corporation taxation.
13 Trustees remuneration and expenses
No trustees, nor any persons connected with them, have received any remuneration from the charity during the year.
14 Related party transactions
There were no related party transactions in the year.
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