In September 2021 my friend Mike Crisp lost his battle to MND leaving behind his wife Becky, son Freddie, family and legions of friends. His dignity, class and humour in the face of such a cruel disease provide the inspiration for us to undertake the 3 day Hadrian's Wall Trail Challenge.

On September 22nd 2023 James & Sarah of de Lisle Financial Planning, together with their spouses, Lisa & Craig, will set off to tackle Hadrian’s Wall. The trek involves a strenuous marathon distance challenge of 26 miles along one of the largest ancient monuments in Northern Europe. This will be a tough endurance test for both body & soul!

We would be exceptionally grateful if you would sponsor us as part of this undertaking. Anything you can afford to give will be going to a noble cause, supporting those individuals and their families unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with this cruel disease.

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a progressive disease that attacks the motor neurones, or nerves, in the brain and spinal cord. This means messages gradually stop reaching muscles, which leads to weakness and wasting. MND can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe.

The MND Association supports the approximately 5000 people living with or affected by MND in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments, and brings us closer to a cure. They also campaign and raise awareness so the needs of people with MND are recognised and addressed by wider society.

Here’s what the MND Association will be able to achieve with your donations:

£10 - Provides an information pack for a newly diagnosed person with MND.

£30 - Buys an adapted cutlery set to help someone with MND continue to feed themselves.

£40 - Funds an MND expert researcher for half a day.

£95 - Runs the MND Connect support and information line for one hour.

£100 - Funds laboratory equipment for two days’ vital research into finding out the causes of MND.

£200 - Could produce 40 copies of ‘So what is MND anyway?’, our guide for young people affected by MND.

£300 - Provides a basic level of respite care for one day.

£550 - Could fund a tablet device with communication software, giving the ability to communicate with loved ones.

£600 - Will fund a seat riser allowing someone with MND to raise their wheelchair so that they can reach shelves and talk to someone at eye level.

£1,000 - Will pay for detailed analysis of the DNA of someone with MND to help us better understand the causes of the disease.

£1,500 - Funds the installation of a straight stair lift for someone with MND to gain access around the house.

£2,000 - Could fund MRI scans for five study participants, helping researchers better understand MND.

£3,500 - Buys a Lightwriter to give someone with MND the ability to continue to communicate with their loved ones.

£4,000 - Could fund a person with MND to participate in a clinical trial for a year.

For more information on MND and how to beat it, do visit the MND Association website: https://www.mndassociation.org/