Thanks for donating to our cause, don't be ashamed to "give and go", we appreciate that your time is precious and we are very grateful for your donation but if you can please read about the cause that we are supporting this year that is close to our heart.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy, this charity first came to our attention as one of our riders has sadly had a child diagnosed with the condition. Naturally we are all keen to do whatever we can to assist in anything that may one day bring a cure to this condtion.

About Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

SMA is a muscle wasting disease that affects thousands of people in the UK, of all ages, races and backgrounds.

Key Facts

·         SMA is genetic, incurable and currently untreatable

·         It is the leading genetic killer of infants and toddlers

·         50% of the most severely diagnosed cases result in death by the age of two

·         1 in every 6,000 births is affected by SMA.

·         1 in every 40 people is a carrier of the defective gene that causes SMA (around 1.5 million people in the UK)

About The SMA Trust

The SMA Trust is a UK registered charity.  It is working to fund medical research into Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).  Their objective is to be active and progressive in the search for a cure for SMA.  The charity was founded in 2003 and is the only UK charity solely dedicated to funding research into the condition.  The charity funds research not only in the UK but across Europe and the US.  The SMA Trust helped create SMA Europe, an umbrella organization that chooses, funds and monitors research projects all over Europe. They are dedicated to ensuring that money raised is used to support the most successful and progressive centres of research into Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

Research into the disease is bringing real optimism for better treatments.  There is no cure yet, but advances in supportive therapies have already led to increased longevity and improved quality of life.  Further change is there, waiting to be discovered.  Funding of further research will encourage advances in the discovery of drugs to stop or slow the progression of the disease, the ultimate goal being a cure.  The SMA Trust is dedicated to finding that cure.

Their current strategy is to continue to support the most promising scientific projects, as selected by the Scientific Advisory Board, whilst at the same time leading the way for the preparation of multiple centres to set up Clinical Trials, when the drugs become available from the US and Europe.