The MND ASSOCIATION (MNDA) are overwhelmed that Joe Kelly, owner of JJK Fitness in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, is taking on his next fundraiser challenge having already raised a staggering £20,000 for the South Hertfordshire branch (now amalgamated with the N & E Herts branch and known as the Hertfordshire Branch) of the MNDA over the last two years. The focus of this new fundraiser is the 2024 London Marathon. Having missed out on the Public Ballot, Joe was allocated his place by the MNDA through their Golden Bond scheme.

A condition of this allocation is that the first £2,700, raised will go to the National Office of the MNDA and contribute towards funding critical research projects to find a cure for this devastating disease. Funds raised above the first £2,700, will be split 50/50 between the National Office and the Hertfordshire Branch. As with Joe’s previous fundraising efforts, this latest challenge is being held in memory of his friend David Davies who was a much loved member of JJK Fitness and of the MNDA South Herts Branch. David was diagnosed with MND in January 2020 and died in March 2022. He is survived by his wife Kim and son, Harrison.

Kim, David’s widow writes:

David loved & admired Joe very much. He would have been so proud and humbled by his continued efforts to raise funds for the MNDA by pushing himself to achieve new personal bests, break physical & mental barriers and engage the entire JJK Community in his quest. Joe continues to ensure that David’s memory lives on and that gives me great comfort. The National MND Association and South Herts Branch have been hugely supportive of David and I throughout his MND journey and are still there to offer me support since David’s death in March this year. Joe and all the JJK Fitness Community has held me close too, encouraged me to stay strong and kept my spirits up. I’m so grateful and couldn’t imagine being on this journey without them.

I would really appreciate any support you can afford to give Joe in his bid to run the London Marathon in April 2024 and beat his previous time. I know things are tough right now but also have seen, first hand, the difference the funds raised will make to the MNDA and its Hertfordshire Branch. Your donations will be worth their weight in gold and make life a little bit easier for those living with MND.

Please see the JJK Fitness website and Facebook pages as well as the MNDA Hertfordshire website, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages for more details.

JJK Fitness is an independent gym based in Kings Langley. It has gone from strength to strength since its inception over 7 years ago and continues to thrive under the leadership of Joe Kelly. Over the years, Joe and his team have helped hundreds of people achieve their health and fitness goals and in doing so, have been touched by the experiences and the personal challenges encountered by many of their clients. Fundraising events have been an integral part of the JJK calendar. Despite lockdown and a huge gym refurbishment, JJK have managed to run 4 big events generating over £26k for charity.

Joe Kelly says: The creation of “JJK Giving Back” is a statement of intent. For as long as JJK Fitness exists, we pledge to keep raising money for charities close to our hearts. David was an inspiration to everyone and his diagnosis hit the JJK family hard.

Motor Neurone Disease THE ASSOCIATION

It is the only national charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland focused on MND care, research and campaigning. The MND Association was founded in 1979 by a group of volunteers with experience of living with or caring for someone with MND. We improve care and support for people with MND, their families and carers. We fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments, and brings us closer to a cure for MND.

For more information please visit the below links:

https://www.jjkfitness.co.uk/

https://www.mndassociation.org/