Until the age of 30, Vera Freeman was very busy being our mother, Wife, Freelance Riding Instructor, Pony Club Instructor and B test examiner. Mum achieved the very prestigious Pony Club A Test With Honours while a Pony Club Member and was a very accomplished Horsewomen held in high regard. Mum made sure that life's busy juggling act worked for our whole family. Dad, Tamzin and myself along with Petroc and Zebedee the two Lookalike ponies, Blossom the fabulous Jersey cow and a few other animals had a fantastic set up in the village of Clophill. Unfortunately this all changed when Mum was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Life has been a rollercoaster for everyone in the family but for Mum - one of life's Very Independent Ladies it has thrown her to the opposite end of the ability spectrum. Being the determined stubborn person that she is Mum didn't give in to this debilitating disease but it has now got to the stage where she can no longer walk and totally relies on our Dad for everything.

Over the last 35 years to aid her fight with MS Mum has received treatment using an Oxygen Chamber. Mum and Dad were heavily involved with setting up a large treatment centre in Bedford many years ago. When they moved to Wales Mum started to use and still does use The Hereford MS Therapy Centre. This centre now requires our help

The Hereford Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre is an independent, self-funding charity, which exists to meet the varying individual, personal and therapeutic needs of people with MS within their own locality.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a progressive, neurological condition. It has many forms and can be described as benign, relapsing, remitting or progressive. MS presents with a range of debilitating symptoms, which can include fatigue, gradual loss of movement and visual impairment and often accompanied by intractable pain. Despite years of research there is still no cure, but much can be done to alleviate the worst effects, provide relief and improve the health and well being of people living with MS. We also help stroke victims, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, Motor Neurone Disease, COPD and many other debilitating conditions for example; we currently support people with different types of cancer who find our therapies to be extremely helpful.

To meet this need we provide a mixture of mainstream and complimentary therapies. Facilities include a large four-seat oxygen chamber and a dedicated therapy room offering clients a range of therapies: physiotherapy, reflexology, Pilates, massage, hydrotherapy, yoga, counseling, dietary advice, fitness classes and beauty therapies. We also have a rest and relaxation area where clients can share their personal experiences and offer mutual support.

The Motivation for the Building Extension project:

The increasing demand for our services and the limitations on space are now affecting our ability to meet client needs. Following consultations with our clients and other MS Therapy Centre’s our objective is to further extend our existing premises to develop services to meet the changing needs of our client group.

The proposed extension, for which planning consent has been approved, will increase our current floor area by 80% which will provide space for our current and future client needs. The cost of the building works is £70,500 of which £10,000 has been raised so far.