For the past three months, St Johns Shopping Centre has teamed up with the Merseyside Motor Neurone Disease Association to help promote their cause, raise awareness about the disease, and support with fundraisers.
MND is an incurable disease that slowly paralyses sufferers, leaving them incapable of doing the daily tasks that we take for granted. The St Johns team wanted to do as much as we could to help individuals affected by the condition, and partnering up with the MNDA seemed like a great way to start.
The association held three Saturday fundraising events at the centre, taking place on 18th August, 8th September and 27th September. This saw full-time members setting up stands around the centre to share valuable information with patrons about the disease and how they can help. To ignite more interest in shoppers, this was paired with activities such as raffles and tombolas. Prizes included bikes, wine and chocolates, with all proceeds going to the MNDA.
Through their partnership with St Johns, the charity has raised a total of £1906.68. The Saturday fundraisers garnered a whopping £1140.99 worth of donations, with the other £765.65 coming from MNDA volunteers independently collecting around the centre.
Neil Ashcroft, Centre Manager, said, “We couldn’t be happier with this result. It’s great to see St Johns shoppers getting involved and giving to such a wonderful charity. The MNDA do such vital work, and we’re glad to have been able to help their cause.”
MND affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK, with a 1 in 300 risk of getting MND across a lifetime. It can affect adults of any age, but is more likely to affect people over 50.
The Motor Neurone Disease Association supports people with MND, as well as their carers, family and friends. The money they raise allows them to offer grants for holidays and to part-fund equipment like stairlifts or even specially-adapted crockery. Through fundraisers and public donations, they provide practical as well as emotional help, and St Johns is proud to have played a part in providing this help.
To find out more and see how you can help, visit: https://www.mndassociation.org/
