Team News – Journey of 2,000 miles ends with hope

Our Creative Director, Mark Bowers, recently embarked on a 2,000-mile charity ride, raising more than £5,600 for MND research over a period of 10 days.

With Unicef’s #WakeUpCall campaign closely following the success of this summer’s Ice Bucket Challenge, many people are looking at how they can raise awareness about causes close to their heart.

Our Creative Director, Mark Bowers, recently embarked on a charity challenge of his own to help those affected by Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Over a 10-day period, he visited towns and cities hosting an MND/ALS primary care centre, resulting in a 2,000-mile motorcycle ride across Great Britain that raised more than £5,600 for MND research.

With no cure in sight, many patients – including Mark’s father, Graham, and mother-in-law, Joan, who sadly passed away a few weeks ago – have struggled with the debilitating effects of this disease. Inspired by his personal experiences with MND, he hit the road to connect with those in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales who are providing care and support to patients and their families.

Mark took the opportunity to record each stage of his journey on video and share the experience online with supporters and sponsors via Facebook and Twitter.

Mark meets Stephen Hawking

From the Swansea Hospital nurses helping patients continue their fight, to the committed staff at the MND Association and MND Scotland, Mark listened to the stories of those working to make a difference in the lives of those suffering from MND.

He also spoke to people living with the disease, who – despite their challenges – continue to live life to the fullest. In Cambridge, Mark was greeted by world-renowned theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed with MND at age 21 and continues to make significant contributions to his field.

Following the completion of his journey, Mark said:

“This has been an incredible experience and I am grateful to all of those who participated in the event and supported me along the way. Five people lose their lives to MND every day in the UK. There may not be a cure, but we can all help raise awareness about this terminal illness to encourage early diagnosis and support programmes that improve the quality of life for patients.”

For more information on Motor Neurone Disease, please visit the MND Association or MND Scotland. To donate to support MND research, please visit Mark’s Great British Tour for MND page on JustGiving.