This is a charity that is close to our hearts, particularly as a member of our valued staff recently lost their lovely mum, Lesley Franklin, to MND and we know of several other families affected by this devasting illness.

It certainly is a charity that desperately needs support and so we will be donating £10,000 each year for the next three years to the Isle of Wight Branch. We will also be fundraising for the charity and have made the decision to do so for this length of time to ensure our efforts raise a significant amount of money that will benefit local people diagnosed with MND.

It’s our intention that our donation, along with whatever we raise, will mainly go towards running a newly launched, fully funded transport scheme called: FreedomTravel – Getting you there with care

FreedomTravel is for the exclusive use of those on the Island living with MND, and their carers, and aims to increase independence and help make life a little easier. It will allow greater opportunity to enjoy days out, go shopping, or even just have a worry-free journey to medical appointments.

With fully adapted vehicles ready to take either electric or manual wheelchairs, the scheme will provide transport, with just a phone call, providing an efficient and manageable solution to a basic living requirement. It may even negate the need for families to source their own adapted vehicle, meaning one less thing to deal with when there is so much to come to terms with.

We have chosen the Isle of Wight Branch, rather than the national charity itself, because we want to help make a material difference to people in our local community. The charity is run entirely by volunteers and relies on donations, so fundraising and raising awareness are paramount. It exists with the sole aim of supporting all those on the Isle of Wight who are affected by MND, including their carers and families.

The charity holds regular support meetings, which offer an opportunity to meet and share experiences and ideas with others also living with the disease. MND is life-shortening: it kills a third of people within a year and more than half within two years of diagnosis and there is currently no cure. It can affect adults of any age, although it’s more often seen in the over 50s. While genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors can come into play, it’s still not clear what causes a person to develop the disease. Although it is progressive, some symptoms can be managed to help achieve the best possible quality of life.

Following the success of our fundraising effort in 2023, and your generosity in helping us achieve such a spectacular result, we sincerely hope you will support us once again in raising funds for this worthy and necessary charity.

Please help us raise as much money as possible, on top of the £10,000 each year, for the Isle of Wight Branch of the MND Association. Visit our Just Giving page to donate.

For more information please visit the Isle of Wight Branch of the MND Association.