At The Unit, we've always strived to keep our family/community we have built at the forefront of everything we do. As we move into 2023, we've set a marker; To complete the Belfast Marathon. Several of us have commited to the full challenge, while others signing up for the team relay. All to fundraise for a specific cause.

Our member Brian has been training at The Unit for about a year, and his family needs some help. His 7-year-old son Eli has a form of Muscular Dystrophy called Collagen 6 Myopathy (Ullrich for short). He has about 20% of the muscle that someone else his age would have, and as a result has multiple falls a day. It's expected that his condition will continue to regress and he will suffer contractures as a result. He's also expected to lose his ability to walk and will need oxygen support by his teen years at best. Eli isn't able to walk stairs, and as a result life is very difficult for him.

Eli's quality of life would improve exponentially if a stair lift could be fitted inside his home, and this is what we'll be fundraising for as we take on the Belfast Marathon on the 30th of April. It is hoped we will raise the £5000 required to fully fund the fitting and purchasing of the stairlift, which would gift Eli with a level of independence many of us take for granted. As we embark on a new year, I’d like us to fully get behind Eli's cause, commit to bettering the life of someone in our community, and do what we can to help those who really need it.