Our CTO, friend, and incredible man Andrew Herbert, has recently been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) at the age of 51. In Andrews true style he will not be beaten and is committed to raising awareness about MND and to help others. 

MND is a rare condition that can affect anyone at any age but is more common in the over 50s. It affects the nerves (motor neurones) which means movement is affected, along with a range of other symptoms including slurred speech and difficulty swallowing. 

The video Andrew shared about banking your voice, is a moving one and helps people living with MND keep their voices - the story helps us to understand what they're going through. 

I Will Always Be Me - The Book That Banks Your Voice | MND Association | Intel - YouTube

Over the course of the week commencing 5th September, we are pledging as a company to achieve a target of 20,051 miles. During his time at Novuna, Andrew has commuted from Skipton to work in Leeds by bike once a week for seven and a half years. This was a 64 mile round trip which comes to about 20,000 miles (impressive hey!) and we have added his age at diagnosis, 51. The money we raise will be matched by Novuna and donated to the MND Association who fund research, improve care, and provide support. 

As Innovation and Change, we're undertaking a series of challenges throughout the week to raise funds and awareness. We will be showing our support by undertaking to cycle, swim, row, walk, jog, skip, dog walk and horse ride (amongst other actvities) to contribute to the overarching target of 20,051 miles.

I haven’t really ever been one for cardio (those that have tried with me have given me nicknames of ‘tigger’ and ‘ bambi’ when trying to run – I seem to bounce up and down more than move forward) and the number of times I’ve fallen off a bike probably equals the number of times I’ve been on a bike. As a result, I’ve tended to stick to the safety of hot yoga or the gym.

So this is  a big challenge for me, for an incredible cause. I’ll be doing the equivalent of an ironman in a week – a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run(/walk). A total of 140.6 miles, finishing the week with Sarah keeping me company for the final leg - the swim in the Leeds canal.

Wish me luck! Any support gratefully received. 

Kim x