Richard Jeffries
Richard's Churchill Travel Fellowship
Fundraising for Motor Neurone Disease Association
Story
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In March 2019 I was lucky enough to be awarded a Churchill Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. This will enable me to travel to Finland, America and Canada this autumn to research the huge benefits children and young people gain through quality music education - specifically being part of a choir.
I've been lucky enough to have numerous musical opportunities - many of which have been shaped by the encouragement I've received from my parents over the years. Soon after I was awarded my fellowship my dad was diagnosed with MND - a terminal, progressive illness. This all came as quite a shock, especially as he's also been battling cancer for ten years and is now, ironically, in remission.
Initially I was thinking about postponing my trip, but my dad (and family) is sure that completing my trip as planned this year is important. It will give him something positive to focus on and hopefully something to be proud of.
My parents have always fully supported my musical progress and so I'm dedicating my fellowship to my dad - raising some money for the MND association through sponsorship at the same time. If you're able to make a donation, however small, you will be helping to fund research into this horrible disease in the hope that more treatment can be developed along with ways of diagnosing early.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.