Our friend, and legendary Scrum Half of Macclesield Rugby Club, Richard Usher, was recently diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Rick was for many years a GP in Macclesfield as well as having various medical roles with England Rugby and other sporting bodies. In recent years he has been the Team Doctor for Team Sky and currently for Ineos Grenadiers.

The disease, whilst being hereditary, is 8 times more likely with people that have played impact sports and as a consequence is well known within the rugby fraternity. It's awareness is championed by ex Scottish Rugby International Doddie Weir (My Name'5 Doddie Foundation). Doddie is now some years down the line as an MND sufferer and shares his journey with fellow sufferer and ex Rugby League player Rob Burrow.

Whilst there is currently no cure for the condition our fund-raising challenge is to support the work led by Bristol-based neurosurgeon Professor Steven Gill who is working to combine three elements: Gene Therapy with Viral Vectors delivered via Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED). It is known that specific viruses can have a therapeutic effect on motor neurons. CED is able to deliver these viruses directly to the neurons in the brain. Delivery of genes to affected neurons to correct or repair defects has been a major challenge, but thanks to My Name'5 Doddie Foundation and other fundraising the research funds are well on their way! Please help support our campaign by donating and together we can hopefully make a major breakthrough that will help.

To nudge you into supporting Rick and the MND Funding Neuro campaign, we are physically challenging ourselves to slog up Cheshire's 3 highest Peaks: Shuttlingsloe, Shining Tor and Tegg's Nose. The 14-mile round trip will require 2,500 feet of climbing and a lot of puff-and-pain for our old and battered rugby bodies. We start at 10.00 on the 3rd June from the Leathers Smithy and finish back there for recovery refreshment!