University of Salford lecturer to spend birthday in garage cycling for charity
A lecturer from the University of Salford is planning to spend his upcoming birthday in his garage, where he will be cycling 100 miles to raise money for two charities close to his heart.
Dr Tony Gill hopes to raise much needed funds for the motor neurone charity, MND Association, and Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, both of which have lost out on vital donations as fundraising events are cancelled due to coronavirus.
He said: “In this difficult time of social isolation many people face hardship and difficulty, but none more so than those who rely on fundraising activities such as these two very deserving charities and the people they support.
“These people rely on donations and volunteers to help them maintain a good quality of life, and now Manorlands faces an uncertain future. It has been open since 1974 and has provided the best quality of care for individuals; the nursing staff there deserve such special praise.”
On May 16, Tony will be cycling in his garage - where there will be no risk of him breaking the rules around social distancing.
He explained: “Given the circumstances at the moment, I’m not going to go out around our beautiful countryside, instead I’m going to sit in my garage and pedal for seven to eight hours on some turbo rollers. It’s going to hurt and I’m going to be a bit bored!
“If anyone would like to help me raise awareness for MND then please spare a few pennies, every pound will help improve the quality of life of individuals who are at risk. My old friend and mentor who believed in me and inspired me to study and gain a PhD sadly died from motor neurone disease, so this is definitely a cause close to my heart.”
“Every year I have done something to raise funds and awareness for this charity and I feel that now it’s needed more than ever. So please help and see if you can donate your unused bus fare, or pub money.”
He added: “The work that is done in Manorlands is outstanding and helps maintain the quality of life for people in their last days, but to do that they need help with funding, so please as we sit in isolation spare a thought for those who are unable to get out and who need nursing care of the highest quality.”
If you'd like to donate, you can do this through JustGiving at the links below:
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