The Mel Evans MBE Foundation

Mel Evans - a leading light in his sporting field

Mel Evans MBE was a talented and dedicated sportsman from a young age.

Cricket was his first love, where his skill with bat and ball led to him being offered a chance to play at county level for Warwickshire CC as a youngster. In adulthood he discovered crown green bowling, which would soon go on to have a huge impact on Mel's life.

Capped more than 100 times for Staffordshire county, he became a key figure in the game nationally through his tireless commitment to organising, promoting and sponsoring events. He was also well-known amongst fans as a key presenter of crown green bowls coverage on TV, and was awarded an MBE in 2014 for his exemplary service to the sport.

_{Mel Evans crown green bowling at Cradley.}

Most importantly, crown green bowling was also what introduced Mel to his lifelong partner Lynn Pritchatt, herself a former England Ladies number one player. The pair quickly became inseparable, both on and off the green, and enjoyed many happy years together.

Having been diagnosed very suddenly in 2016, Mel passed away from motor neuron disease (MND) the following year, leaving behind Lynn, daughter Jenny, and baby granddaughter Isabelle Megan. It was Lynn who set up the The Mel Evans MBE Foundation in her partner's honour, aiming to raise awareness and money to help fund cutting-edge research into MND for future generations.

A proud partnership with Sheffield

_{Laura Ellis is a neuroscience PhD researching MND at SITraN, co-funded by The Mel Evans Foundation.}

The Mel Evans MBE Foundation is a powerful and passionate voice in raising awareness of MND, and a key ally in the fight to discover an eventual cure. Its core aim is to raise funds to support cutting-edge research - a goal in which it proudly partners with the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN).

SITraN is renowned worldwide as a trailblazing force in neurological disease research. Since opening in 2010, the facility has grown enormously under the leadership of Professor Dame Pamela Shaw, pioneering a unique approach that brings together multidisciplinary teams of scientists, clinicians and patients under a single roof.

Both Mel and I first learned about SITraN - and Professor Dame Pamela Shaw's work - shortly after receiving our devastating diagnosis. From that moment, Mel was determined that everything we did to raise awareness would be firmly rooted in advancing research.

As we delved deeper into what was taking place at SITraN, we were immediately struck by the scale and depth of the research being carried out by the team. After our first visit to meet Professor Shaw and tour the facilities, I knew without hesitation that our mission would be to support SITraN and its groundbreaking work.

Lynn Pritchatt

Founder, The Mel Evans MBE Foundation

_{Lynn Prichatt and Laura Ellis at a ceremonial bricklaying to launch the SITraN expansion project, July 2025.}

SITraN's highly collaborative working model has helped accelerate the transition of lab discoveries into early phase clinical trials, paving the way for new treatments for a wide range of devastating conditions, and transforming patient care on a truly global scale.

With generous support from The Mel Evans Foundation, SITraN is set to continue its growth as an international centre of excellence for research. Its work today is a keystone in the worldwide structure of academic groups, funding bodies, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare sectors leading the fight to find improved treatments and cures for millions of patients and families.

This partnership underscores our commitment to driving forward meaningful MND research, and highlights the Foundation as a serious contributor in the scientific community. Working together and sharing expertise enhances our problem-solving capabilities, and accelerates innovation. 

It is a privilege to support the pioneering work being carried out at SITraN - particularly the research led by PhD student Laura Ellis, which is co-funded by our Foundation. This collaborative relationship fosters trust, open communication, and strong interpersonal connections, laying the foundation for broader networks and long-term progress.

Most importantly, the partnership significantly amplifies the reach and impact of the Foundation, helping us achieve more substantial and lasting outcomes in the fight against MND.

Lynn Pritchatt

Founder, The Mel Evans MBE Foundation

_{Laura Ellis and Lynn Pritchatt at the unveiling of Mel Evans' SITraN plaque, January 2025.}