First of all I would like to say a big thank you for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page to help us raise money for two charities which are close to our hearts – The Multiple Systems Atrophy Trust, and St Giles Hospice.

 

The Multiple Systems Atrophy Trust

In 2007 my dad passed away some 7 years after being diagnosed with the progressive neurological disorder, Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA).  Put simply, MSA is caused by cell loss in certain areas of the brain and the spinal cord resulting in problems with movement, balance and automatic functions of the body such as bladder control. The disease tends to advance rapidly over the course of 9 to 10 years, with progressive loss of motor skills, eventual confinement to bed, and death. There is no remission from the disease. There is currently no cure.

Sounds horrific doesn’t it? That’s because it is - it is for this reason, and having seen both my mom (as a full time carer) and dad suffer both physically and mentally at the hands of this dreadful condition for several years, that I really wanted to do something to raise money to help towards research in an attempt to find a cure for this debilitating condition.

The Multiple System Atrophy Trust was established in 1997 and is the only UK support charity for people affected by MSA. The Trust aims to:

·         Provide information and support to people living with MSA and their families

·         Raise awareness of the condition and its treatment, especially among healthcare professionals

·         Promote and sponsor research into MSA, its cause, treatment and ultimately its cure

 

St Giles Hospice

St Giles Hospice is a registered charity, offering specialist care in a variety of settings for patients with cancer and other serious (and often terminal) illnesses, as well as providing support for their families and helpers.

Whilst dad spent the majority of time in the comfort of his own home during his illness (thanks to the tremendous care and devotion provided by mom), he did spend a couple of weeks in St Giles during the later stages of his illness to give mom some much needed respite. The importance of having a facility such as this for seriously/terminally ill patients cannot be under estimated.

If you would like to find out more about either of these charities, please visit the websites shown below to appreciate what valuable work these organisations do:

www.msaweb.co.uk

www.stgileshospice.com

 

THE CHALLENGE

On the 15th/16th July 2011 a group of 12 of us will be attempting to complete the 3 Peaks Challenge to raise as much money as possible for our chosen charities. Our initial target is £2,000 but hopefully we can exceed that.

The challenge involves climbing the highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales in 24 hours!

Ben Nevis (in Scotland) – 1,344m high

Scafell Pike (in England) – 978m high

Snowdon (in Wales) – 1085m high

I am told that the overall distance walked is around 25 miles, the height climbed is around 10,000 feet, and the distance travelled via road between the mountains is some 450 miles.

Whilst this will be a demanding challenge (both physically and mentally), we are all extremely motivated to succeed and would really appreciate your support to help us achieve our target.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast, and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted e-mails. I have, personally donated to other charities myself through JustGiving, and have never had any problems whatsoever.

Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it's the most efficient way to donate - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please, please, please dig deep and donate today!

Thanks again for taking the time to visit our page.