I will be walking the 100km between London and Brighton in 24 hours with four friends, Ben, Malcolm, Stuart and Tom, to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a disease which has directly affected my family, with my Dad losing his 2 year fight with the disease in April this year.

MND is a progressive disease which attacks the nerves in the brain and the spinal chord leading to weakness and wasting of muscles, causing increasing loss of mobility in the limbs, difficulties with speech, swallowing and breathing.

It is not known exactly what causes MND and there is currently no cure.

Money for research is obviously important, but so is the money for the items that can make a significant difference to the quality of life of someone with MND and their family. For my Dad the MNDA funded his electric wheelchair, which allowed him to get out of the house when he could no longer walk. The MNDA also provided my Dad with the eye gaze technology which tracked the movement of his eyes offering him a way to communicate when he could no longer speak. 

The MNDA fills many of the gaps that the NHS leaves for those suffering with MND, as well as offering support to the families of those who have the disease and funding vital research into the causes and treatments of the disease. This is why I and my friends who will be walking with me feel so passionate about raising as much money for MNDA as possible.

We will be undertaking the enormous task of walking the 100km between London and Brighton in just 24 hours beginning at 8pm in Parliament Square on the 16th June. We will walk through the night and aim to finish at the Brighton Pier before 8pm on the 17th June.

I would like to thank everyone who choses to sponsor us in advance. Your donation will help the MNDA make a real difference to someone who is suffering from MND.

If you would like to know more about MND then please visit: https://www.mndassociation.org/