Thanks for visiting my fundraising page, My name is Josh and i'm from Hampton (london) although I'm currently studying at the University of West of England in Bristol. As you may or may not know, last year I walked 365 miles from Reading to Manchester via Bristol and Cardiff (Hike for MND 2008 Blog). This year I'm back with a new challenge, Manchester to Edinburgh, and this year there are two of us. Isaac McCardle (who also study's at UWE) and myself will be walking the 280 miles side by side, with the addition of my wonderful girlfriend Megan Cooper who will be joining us from Manchester to Sheffield. So, exactly what does Hike for MND 2009 entail I hear you cry in raw anticipation. Well sit down and I shall tell you. On Monday the 27th of July 2009 Myself and Isaac and Megan will be departing from Stockport in South-East Manchester. From there we shall be heading over to the eastern coast and following up to Alnwick. When we hit Alnwick we shall be breaking away from the coast and making a bee line for Edinburgh. The Rules: - We will be walking the whole way, we can't step foot in or on a vehicle even if it would drop us off again at the same location before we continued. - We will be carrying everything we need on our own backs. - We will have an incredible time. I will be keeping a blog online with the assistance of my dad so you can follow our progress. Keep an eye on Hike for MND 2009 Blog and sign up for the updates. And finally the cause for which we are doing this. Motor Neuron Disease. Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks the upper and lower motor neurones. Degeneration of the motor neurones leads to weakness and wasting of muscles, causing increasing loss of mobility in the limbs, and difficulties with speech, swallowing and breathing and eventually fatality. MND can affect anyone regardless of age or physical fitness. MNDA is working hard on both caring for those with MND and also finding a cure. Please give a donation to MNDA via this JustGiving webpage. The funds go directly to the charity. If you do not wish to sponsor online you can donate offline, simply go to my blog and contact me through there. Even a single £5 donation will help. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Josh [Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It's also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Motor Neurone Disease Association gets your money faster and, if you're a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation. So please sponsor me now!] *A little message from Megan* Just to explain why I'm taking part in this hike: I am not a walker... My mum has always given me more lifts than I deserve; to town, to school, to work, to Eva's house 5 minutes up the road haha. I moan when I'm on long walks or even evening strolls. This is why I am putting myself to the test, and through wind and rain, or the hottest sweatiest summer, I will join Josh and Isaac in walking my way to my home in Sheffield from 'that other Northern place' Manchester. It's a very tiny hike compared to the guys', but for me it's a challenge. MND is a charity close to the hearts of both my boyfriend and my best friend so I'm doing it for them. Megan