We get to meet some very passionate fundraisers, some very driven fundraisers.  People who are willing to push boundaries, test limits and go the extra mile – quite often literally.  And nowhere has this particular brand of bravery been shown quite as clearly as with those events which we’ve grouped under Do Something Scary.  We’ve had people walk over fire, jump from bridges and out of aircraft.  We’ve signed people up to abseil from the Forth Bridge, and Zip Slide across the river Clyde.  These are all wonderful events, but they often involve fundraisers facing very real fears – all in the name of raising money to fight MND – and we’re really very proud of all of them. 

For the Shark dive, each diver had committed to raising at least £300, with many having raised a good deal more.  We’ve got some great photos and video to share with you – with some very large sharks in the background! 

A huge well done and thank you to all our divers, and all those who’ve sponsored them!  We couldn’t do what we do without people like you.  Thanks also go to the divers and staff at Deep Sea World – thank you so much for your hospitality and professionalism. 

If you’re interested in Doing Something Scary, get in touch! Sara [dot] thomas [at] mndscotland [dot] org [dot] uk

Photos of the Shark Dive on Flickr…

Photos of the Shark Dive on Facebook…

Shona, Christine & Laura: 

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Ross, James & Aaron: 

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Grants are available up to a maximum of £250 and can be for any cost related to the holiday, such as accommodation, travel, insurance, or equipment.  If your application is successful, we will ask you to complete a brief feedback form after your holiday.  To allow us to report back to Creative Breaks, the money must be spent by 1^st November 2013.

How to apply

Please complete and return the application form no later than Monday 15 July 2013, telling us what the grant would be used for, and how it would help: for example, it might enable you to have a break you could not otherwise afford, to enjoy a holiday with your family, or to travel somewhere you have always wanted to visit.  You can fill in the form online below, or you can download it to print and post or email to: Mairi Hughes, MND Scotland, 76 Firhill Road, Glasgow, G20 7BA - Email: mairi [dot] hughes [at] mndscotland [dot] org [dot] uk  

Download the form: Holiday Grant Application Form [Word Document, 632 Kb]

Please note that as we have very limited funding available, we cannot guarantee that all applications will be successful and we may award a lower sum than has been requested.  In order to benefit as many people as possible, we ask those who have already received a Holiday Grant this year not to reapply.

If you have any questions, please email Mairi at the above address or phone us on 0141 945 1077.

Tell them when the event takes place (12th June, 6pm – 8pm) and your own personal story and why you feel they should take more interest in the challenges that people with MND, their families and friends face every day. We need MSPs to be aware of our ‘Time to Benefit People with MND’ campaign so also send a link to this page.

Alex Neil MSP, cabinet secretary for Health and Wellbeing will be attending – it will be informative evening for all MSPs. There will be time later in the evening for an informal chat with people with MND, their families and MND Scotland representatives.

We’re very happy indeed to announce the launch of a new fundraising event – Cornflowers and Cake.  http://www.mndscotland.org.uk/fundraising/cornflowers-cake/

Get together with friends, family or colleagues and hold a tea party, coffee morning, or bake sale with the help of our dedicated host’s pack.  The pack contains a sweepstakes sheet (with prize draw to win a pair of tickets for the Cornflower Ball in March 2014), recipe ideas, balloons, gift aid sheet, posters, and more.  The first 100 packs we send out will also include a box of Twining’s Lady Grey Loose Leaf tea, which contains real cornflower petals! 

The home baking stall at our Fun Runs has always been popular, so we decided to reach out to some of the star bakers out there and ask them for recipes!  There’s a couple included in the pack itself, and we’d love to add more – so if you’ve got a special cake or biscuit recipe you’d like to share then please do get in contact, and we’ll list them on the website here: http://www.mndscotland.org.uk/fundraising/cornflowers-cake/

Whether it’s cake, cocktails, cava or coffee, we’d love to see the pictures of your Cornflower and Cake event – so please do send them in or post them to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/mndscotland , or find us on twitter @mndsfundraising

There’s a whole host of ways in which you can raise funds at your event: hold a raffle (we include a Letter of Authorisation to help you approach local businesses for prizes) or bake sale, use the sweepstakes sheet, ask for donations on entry – anything you like!  If you’ve got any queries at all, don’t hesitate to get in contact.

You can request your host’s pack online here http://www.mndscotland.org.uk/fundraising/cornflowers-cake/, by sending an email to fundraising [at] mndscotland [dot] org [dot] uk or calling us 0141 945 1077.  We look forward to hearing from you!

We were at the event on Sunday 26th May, with our friends from MNDA in a tent in the charity village.  While it was hot in the morning for the Half Marathon runners, it clouded over a bit later on, making it a bit easier for those taking part in the full Marathon!  Much like at the Glasgow Women’s 10k, it’s a pleasure and a privilege to get to meet so many wonderful fundraisers – people who consistently go that extra mile (quite literally, in fact) to fight Motor Neurone Disease. 

We don’t yet know the total amount raised – but we know that it’s in the thousands, and that it will directly benefit those affected by MND in Scotland.  Thank you all.

There are a good few running events still to happen this year  – the Great Scottish Run, the Antonine Trail Race, the Loch Ness Marathon – so if you’d like to get involved there are plenty of opportunities, just drop us a line! Sara [dot] thomas [at] mndscotland [dot] org [dot] uk

You can see all the photos from the day over at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mndscotland/sets/72157633757798733/

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

It may have rained all week on the west coast of Scotland, and the grass may have been a wee bit muddy, but the day was dry for the 650 runners, walkers & joggers who turned out for the annual MND Scotland Fun Run at Strathclyde Park on Sunday 19^th May!

We were delighted to welcome so many people to the park for this event, which is one of the biggest events in our fundraising calendar.  As usual there were plenty of new faces, mixed with old friends – and thank you all so much for being part of it.  We hope to see you again soon.

As a charity we’re dependent upon the kindness of our supporters – we receive very little statutory funding, so we’re reliant upon people like you who take part in fun runs and marathons, jump from bridges and out of planes, dive with sharks and climb mountains.  Your work makes a real difference. 

Thank you to our volunteers – in the registration tent, home baking (thanks to the Bellshaws!), refreshments, cards & MND Scotland merchandise or raffle & tombola tickets; those who set the course up, marshalled the route, carried out sweeping duties, gave out water, made up goodie bags, gave out goodie bags or cheered the runners back!  Thanks to the Criaige Choir from Perth for providing the entertainment, and the guys from Precise Audio for making sure that they could be heard.  Thank you also to our massage therapists, to Roy Elliot for being our photographer (he’s furiously processing the hundreds of pictures he took, they’ll be available in the next couple of days…), the Red Cross for providing first aid cover, Hilary Graham  and Janice MacVicar for running the hotdog stand, and to Pearl Kinnear & Barry Neeson for covering us all in facepaint!

But the biggest thanks goes to all our participants, and all who sponsored them.  We’ve already had some sponsorship money come in, and so far just over £20,000 has been raised.  This kind of support changes lives, and it wouldn’t happen without you.  Thank you so much.

All the photos from the day can be seen over at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mndscotland/sets/72157633547255735/

Registration for our Holyrood Park Fun Run on Sunday 15^th September will open in the next couple of weeks – do keep an eye out! 

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

MND Scotland encourages supporters to help spread awareness of Motor Neurone Disease and the charity’s Welfare Reform campaign ‘Time to benefit people with MND’. There are a number of hints, tips and access to awareness raising material via the website.

By spreading the word about Motor Neurone Disease and MND Scotland you could help us to inform people about the effects of the illness, the services of MND Scotland, our current Welfare Reform Campaign, and how to organise fundraising events.

We encourage you to actively take part in our ‘Time to Benefit People with MND’ campaign and write to MPs and MSPs to ensure changes are made to Welfare Reforms and relieve the current stress and financial strain upon people with MND.

If you require leaflets and posters to spread around your local area e.g. G.P.s, libraries, church halls, community centres etc… then please get in touch with bryan [dot] carroll [at] mndscotland [dot] org [dot] uk

N.B. Please share these links with friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter. We’ll keep you up to date online with any developments in ways to help raise raise awareness.

Funding and experimentation,

Thinking.

Results and deliberation,

Writing and publication,

Understanding.
 

Insights and appreciation,

Treating and amelioration,

Helping.

By Dr Simon H Parson

Senior Lecturer in Anatomy

Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research University of Edinburgh

It wasn’t the driest of days, but the occasional bout of rain wasn’t enough to dampen the spirits of our fundraising superstars, who we welcomed to our tent in the charity village for free massage and refreshments. 

One of the best bits of being a fundraiser is getting to meet our supporters at events like this – the enthusiasm and dedication of those who raise money to fight MND is absolutely amazing.  Thank you all so much – we really couldn’t do what we do without you!

Registration for the 2014 event is already open – if you’d like to take part in this event to fight MND then just get in touch, and we’ll send you a sponsorship pack! 

You can see all the photos from the day on Flickr here…  

Or you can see them on Facebook here…

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

You can support the campaign by contacting your local MSP and MP with your own opinion via our website…

We call on the DWP and UK Government to:

• exempt people with MND from the Work Capability Assessment, allocate them to the ESA Support Group and award full benefit, as it has done with those receiving cancer treatment.  100% of people with MND, supported by our team, are allocated to this Group.  Putting them through this stressful process is a waste of taxpayers’ money.
• exempt from ‘the bedroom tax’ people who have had their homes significantly adapted for their needs; and/or are unable to share a bedroom because they need an array of medical equipment necessary to keep them safe at night.
• automatically transfer people with MND currently on high rates of DLA mobility and care components to the enhanced rate of PIP.  It is medically impossible for people with MND to improve so reassessing them for PIP is illogical and a waste of taxpayers’ money.  Extend the timescale under ‘special rules’ that death from terminal illness can be reasonably expected from 6 to 12 months.  Without this, many people with MND will die before receiving the benefit they are entitled to.