Hi everyone - this year the team are undertaking another massive physical challenge to fundraise for an amazing local charity that has been supporting me since January.

On Sat 11 October, a team of around 15 (mostly) willing volunteers are pulling their walking boots on again, this time to tackle 50km of paths and bridleways along the Kent Downs.

Since being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2022, I have gradually lost the ability to walk unaided and my speech is now slowing down too. There is nothing anyone can do to stop this and after diagnosis, NHS care and rehab is sadly limited. You just need to get on with life as best you can.

It's a similar story for people with all sorts of neurological conditions (MND, Parkinson's, MS, Stroke etc) and this is where the local charity we are fundraising for, Integrated Neurological Services (INS), operate to provide vital access to long-term, professional and peer support in the community, helping us to manage our symptoms, maintain independence and live as best we can with our condition.

I look forward to connecting with the team at INS at my weekly visits and being able to, for example, access gym classes which otherwise would be beyond me. The team are hugely supportive and the community spirit they engender amongst all the service users amazes me every visit.

Please help us enable the INS team to continue their amazing work by donating through JustGiving.

It's 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.