Following the campaign’s success in securing a commitment of £50 million from the UK Government, United to End MND is now set to star at the Scottish Charity Awards and we need your vote.

United to End MND has been shortlisted for Campaign of the Year at the 2022 Scottish Charity Awards and is also in the running for the People’s Choice Award, which is decided by a public vote closing on 20 May at 5pm – please vote now and spread the word! 

Launched in 2021 by five people living with MND, United to End MND is a unique coalition of patients, MND Scotland, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, MND Association, and leading MND researchers.

The campaign had a single aim – for the UK Government to invest £50 million over five years into targeted MND research, to help accelerate the search for a cure for MND, a devastating, terminal and underfunded disease with no effective treatments.  

A petition, which was created in the name of former rugby star Doddie Weir, quickly gained over 100,000 signatures and was debated in UK Parliament. Following this, a personal letter from hundreds of people living with MND to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pleading for funding, was presented at 10 Downing Street by sporting legends Rob Burrow and Stephen Darby, along with others with the disease.  

After months of campaigning, in November 2021, the UK Government announced its commitment to invest £50 million over five years into targeted MND research – a huge success for the coalition.  

Rachel Maitland, MND Scotland’s CEO, said: “I am incredibly proud the United to End MND campaign has been recognised at the Scottish Charity Awards. Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this campaign such a huge success. It was an exceptional team effort from across the MND community and wider, showing what can be achieved when we all come together to reach the same goal.  

“I especially want to recognise the five patients who have been the driving force behind the campaign. Dave, Nicola, Lee, Emma and Chris – none of this would have been possible without your hard work and determination.   

“We know this isn’t the end – together, we will continue to work to make sure the committed funds are invested in a way which will have the biggest impact on progressing MND research and without delay.”  

Jill Douglas, CEO of My Name’5 Doddie Foundation said:   

“It’s fantastic to see the United to End MND campaign being shortlisted for Campaign of the Year at the Scottish Charity Awards! The impact that the successful campaign for £50m from the UK Government will have on MND research is hugely significant and we expect it to lead to major breakthroughs. 

“Thank you to everyone who supported the campaign, it was a truly collaborative effort and it’s great to see such a positive outcome after all the hard work put in by the coalition. It’s no overstatement to say that this is one of the largest steps forward towards finding a cure to MND in the last 50 years, and it wouldn’t have been possible without everyone involved. 

“There’s still work to do, but this is a springboard and we will continue to do all we can to support the MND community and invest in research.” 

Cast your vote 

Vote for #United2EndMND at scvo.scot/vote before 5pm on Friday 20 May 2022.  The results of the awards will be announced at a ceremony on 15 June 2022.  

What’s next for the campaign? 

The United to End MND coalition is continuing to engage with the UK Government on how and when the committed £50m will be released.  

Ahead of a meeting with Minister for Care, Gillian Keegan MP, on 26 April 2022, a group of scientists representing the leading MND research centres wrote a letter to the Minister outlining the benefits of a single peer-reviewed application for the delivery of the £50m government investment. A similar letter was also written to the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, George Freeman MP, with copies sent to Sajid Javid MP and Kwasi Kwarteng MP. 

At the meeting the Government was able to confirm the £50m remains dedicated for MND research, but further work with civil servants and Government is urgently needed to agree how the funds will be distributed in a way that satisfies governance but is effective and timely for people living with MND. The United to End MND coalition is determined to push this through as quickly as possible and already a follow up meeting is scheduled for early May. Find out more here.