The Loop launch fundraising campaign to set up new mobile drug testing lab

The Loop has announced a new fundraising campaign to bring in "vital" donations to support its harm reduction work in the UK.

The drug checking and harm reduction organisation launched its "Test & Know" campaign on Tuesday (July 22), with hopes to raise £25,000 to fund a mobile laboratory.

The lab would ensure The Loop's "front of house" drug checking experts, and "back of house" drug testing technicians, the opportunity to quickly offer advice to members of the public on any harmful substances.

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The Loop is asking for £12 donations from supporters, which the organisation claims is the cost of each drug check: “We want to be able to do more and reach more people to reduce drug-related harm. As a charity, the funding and resources available to us can restrict this," says The Loop CEO Katy Porter. 

"We know there is significant support from many people for the work we do, and we are asking you to donate as much or as little as you can to enable us to deliver more drug checking and testing in the UK.” 

Professor Fiona Measham, Chair in Criminology at the University of Liverpool and Founder and Chair of The Loop, adds that donations will "support our chemists to identify substances of concern drawing on the latest technological advances."

Health professionals will be able to "communicate test results and relative risk, rapidly and without judgement, to the public and partner organisations," with the new mobile facility.

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The Loop's operations at Parklife 2025 identified a batch of harmful MDMA pills containing three times the recommended dose for adults.

As a result of its testing of those pills, The Loop were able to quickly alert the authorities, festival organisers and attendees of the risks to help prevent emergency incidents. 

Donate to The Loop's Test & Know campaign, here.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter