Some of my earliest childhood memories involve fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy UK.
“My family have been fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy UK for three generations”

From helping with jumble sales, running stalls at summer fairs, folding raffle tickets and gathering Christmas card orders, to watching my parents organise evening balls and events, the charity has always been part of my life.
Keeping it in the family
Years later, my husband and I took over running the fundraising group, and our two daughters and their partners now support our efforts. It’s so lovely we’ve managed to keep the group going with its third generation of fundraisers.
“We have raised over £250,000 to date with an amazing group of friends who turn up to our events time after time.”
Our fundraisers range from car boot sales and auctions to supermarket collections and Christmas concerts, garden parties and card game nights.
Keeping prices reasonable and making sure people enjoy themselves is key. This has encouraged family, friends, and members across the local community to get involved. We work with different groups in the community to put on events, from the local sports and social club to a school choir for their annual Christmas concert. We aim to engage different groups of the population so that they benefit from the activities while also supporting the charity.
Paving the way for future treatment
My dad’s condition was never diagnosed conclusively but was most likely Becker muscular dystrophy. Much of the diagnosis was based on his discharge notes from the Fleet Air Arm in 1948, long before the condition was recognised. There was also a young local lad who had Duchenne muscular dystrophy. His family were a huge part of the group in the early days and still support us now. These two people have always been our inspiration and our continued fundraising is their legacy.
My parents were originally asked by Muscular Dystrophy UK if they would like to be involved in running a local fundraising group back in the 1960s. They didn’t expect a miracle cure for either of the conditions, but the whole community rallied together to help fund research that would one day pave the way for treatment.
Coincidently, my husband, Muir, supported the local Muscular Dystrophy UK group in Glasgow in a small way before he met me. He only knew my dad for three years, but that, and my mother’s amazing resilience and determination, was enough to inspire him to support the charity ever since.
Fundraising is part of our lives
The best thing is the social side of it.
“Meeting old friends and new people and giving them a good time. The satisfaction of sitting around the table at the end of the night counting the money also never gets old!”
Volunteering for any charity is worthwhile, but you really get to see the difference your fundraising is making with smaller charities like Muscular Dystrophy UK. Working for a charity is a great experience that offers new skills, friendships, and opportunities. Fundraising for the charity is such a huge part of our lives. I’d like to think the Kings Heath and Moseley Group will still be here to celebrate its 70th anniversary.
Find out more about fundraising with us here.