- More than 450 students, staff, alumni and members of the public are joining forces to collectively walk over 10,000 miles through the Peak District to support life-changing motor neurone disease research at the University of Sheffield
- The last Big Walk, which took place in 2022, raised over £80,000 for student scholarships
- Since 2015 there have been 6 Big Walk events that have raised over £460,000 for life-changing projects at the University
Hundreds of staff, students and friends of the University of Sheffield are donning their walking boots today (Friday 28 June 2024) to raise vital funds for MND research, which will help to transform millions of lives.
The Big Walk 2024 is set to raise thousands of pounds to support life-changing motor neurone disease (MND) research at the University of Sheffield.
MND is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It progressively weakens muscles and eventually leads to death. There is currently no cure for MND, and treatment options are limited. The University of Sheffield's participation in MND research brings valuable UK expertise to the table, potentially accelerating progress in finding a cure for MND.
This year’s event returns after a year’s break. It is the seventh Big Walk hosted by the University since 2015. The annual event has raised over £460,000 in total, supporting a variety of life-changing projects such as Yorkshire’s first MRI-Pet scanner as well as student scholarships so that everyone, regardless of their financial position, can access university education.
More than 450 people are taking part in this year’s event including Jen Horsfield, from the University of Shefield’s School of Clinical Dentistry, who’s father Andrew passed away from Motor Neurone Disease last year.
She said:” My father passed away from MND in October 2023. This year would be his 60th birthday and it seemed too perfect an opportunity to miss as between us, my sister and I will walk 60 miles in his memory. He took part in clinical trials to do his part to help towards finding a cure for MND and we will do our bit this year in the Big Walk!
“Nothing prepares you for watching a loved one deteriorate in such a way. It was heartbreaking to see my dad no longer able to do the things he enjoyed because he lost use of his hands first. It was very difficult to keep up with the rate of deterioration as there is so little known about it.
“We always felt like MND was one step ahead of us. If we can raise funds to further research into this disease, hopefully, in time we can get ahead of MND."
Fundraisers have the choice of either a 20 or 30 mile route across the Peak District. Walkers will start from Redmiers Playing Field before heading to Hathersage, Curbar, along Fox House, before finishing at the University campus.
After crossing the finish line, walkers can enjoy a specially made beer by Thornbridge Brewery for the event, with 10p of every beer purchased donated towards MND research.
Dr Phil Powell, from the University of Sheffield's School of Medicine and Population Health, whose work focuses on improving the quality of life for people living with a range of health conditions including motor neurone disease, will also be taking part in the walk.
Dr Powell said: “I have been inspired by the people I have collaborated with living with MND as part of my research. Their desire to get involved with research and give up their time to help improve outcomes not only for themselves, but for people who may be diagnosed with MND in the future is truly admirable.
“In my opinion, communities like this deserve all the support they can get and the collective effort of the Big Walk at the University of Sheffield represents a small part of that."
For more information about The Big Walk 2024 or to donate towards Motor Neurone Disease research, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/bigwalk2024
