Ann Tunnicliffe shares her experiences of being part of our northwest fundraising group. She talks about the types of events they organize, her personal connection to the charity, and why fundraising is important to her.
“I fundraise for Muscular Dystrophy UK to help find a treatment for my stepdaughter.”
I’ve been volunteering with Muscular Dystrophy UK’s northwest fundraising group, called ‘Let’s Go Fundraise, North West MD Group’, for around two years now. My stepdaughter, Sarah, has limb girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) so I wanted to do my bit to raise funds for the charity.
For me, it’s also about spreading awareness of muscular dystrophy in general. When I do supermarket collections in my town, lots of people vaguely remember hearing the condition mentioned but don’t know much about it or the fact that there’s so many variations.
My husband, John, has done a few big fundraisers including the zip wire in Snowdonia, which is the fastest one in the world, and last year he did a wing walk!
“I’m not quite as much of a daredevil, so being part of the northwest fundraising group means I can still help make a difference.”
Every bake sale and collection counts
When I started volunteering, I asked my friend Sharron if she wanted to be part of the fundraising. We organise events together, which is a great way to get more involved in the local community. We’ve done car boot sales, cake bakes, and lots of collections. We’ve got involved in Bake a Difference the last two years and always receive support from the choir we go to, my art class, and work colleagues.
I’d love to get more locals fundraising for the charity. It can just be challenging thinking of events that will get the most uptake.
“Muscular Dystrophy UK are great at making sure their volunteers feel supported. I know I can contact Susanne, the Regional Development Manager in my area, and she’ll help me with anything.”
Volunteering gives you a purpose
I’d encourage anyone who has the time to do some volunteering. As well as being a really worthwhile cause to support, it’s a very sociable thing to do. It’s an opportunity to get out there in the community, talking to people and making connections. And, of course, it makes you feel good knowing that what you’re doing will help someone get a vital piece of equipment or fund research.
It’s a cause close to my heart
I’ve known Sarah for about 18 years now, since she was in her early 20s. We don’t get together as a family as much as we’d like as she lives in Wales and we’re in Lancashire, but we call every week.
“I’ve watched Sarah go through some pretty tough times because of her condition, and it can be hard when you can’t do anything to make things easier. But fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy UK means the charity can support more people through difficult times.”
