A group of Harrogate wild swimmers is undertaking seven dips in Yorkshire waters in seven days to raise money for the Rob Burrows appeal.

The Dippers, which formed in 2021 and meets regularly to swim, took inspiration from Kevin Sinfield’s 7-in-7-in-7 challenge, which saw the former rugby player complete seven ultra-marathons in seven cities over seven days to raise money for the fight against motor neurone disease (MND).

The group therefore hopes to complete seven swims in seven locations over seven days — and could hardly have chosen a colder week.

One of the dippers, Anna Cade-Smith, told the Stray Ferret:

“I lost my dad to MND last year, which inspired me to do this challenge.

“It’s a real group effort though – I couldn’t do it without the others.”

The group began the challenge last Saturday, in Grassington, and have since faced heavy snowfall and water temperatures as low as three degrees.

The dippers, equipped with wooly hats, have also braved the cold of Pateley Bridge weir, Linton Falls and Appletreewick this week.

Ms Cade-Smith added:

“Some people wear full wetsuits, some wear short ones and some just wear cardigan-like wetsuits.

“We had an aim of swimming for 7 minutes – to fit in with the 777 concept – but we’ve reached up to around 10.

“It obviously depends on individuals’ bodies. We all support each other through it.”

She also said the group, which regularly swims in wild waters, has found the cold temperatures on consecutive days particularly difficult:

“I think the hardest part is, when you get out, you know you have to keep warm and get your clothes dry ready for the next day to do it again.

“It has given us a real insight into what Kevin Sinfield is doing every day.”

“But, the swimmers have all managed to commit despite busy weeks, jobs and this week’s weather!”

The group has so far raised more than £800 as part of the appeal and will complete their final swim tomorrow at Burnsall.

The appeal will go towards the campaign to create a Rob Burrows Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds.

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A Green Hammerton man with motor neurone disease is set to take on a 100-mile trek in his wheelchair in aid of charity for a third time.

Ian Flatt, 57, was diagnosed with the condition in 2019 and has already taken on the challenge twice two years ago.

He is raising money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Leeds Hospitals Charity appeal, which is hoping to build the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The challenge will see Ian start in Pateley Bridge today before travelling through Bolton Abbey, to Pen-Y-Ghent, and finishing at the highest pub in England, The Tan Hill Inn in Swaledale on Sunday (July 16).

Ahead of his trek, Ian said:

“I feel incredibly passionate about the MND community and the beacon of hope that the Rob Burrow MND Centre has become. I’m also acutely aware that sometimes we face difficult challenges with this condition and in life in general.

“I’d just like to think that our adventures bring a smile to people’s faces alongside raising funds and awareness. Perhaps it will inspire somebody to set aside their worries, to live in the moment and find reasons to laugh.”

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As part of his previous fundraising efforts, Ian has raised more than £35,000 for both of his chosen charities.

Leeds Hospitals Charity launched their appeal for a new centre tailored to the needs for people living with MND and their families in 2019, which has now raised £4.5 million of its £6.8 million fundraising target.

Ian pictured on one of his previous 100-mile trek challenges.

Esther Wakeman, chief executive at Leeds Hospitals Charity, said:

“I am humbled by the commitment Ian has to raise funds for his fellow patients with motor neurone disease.  

“Ian and his wife, Rachael, have been fundraising since we announced our Rob Burrow Centre for MND appeal back in September 2021 and I have been heartened by their resilience and positive attitude.”

Angus O’Donnell, regional fundraiser for MND Association said:

“The work he has done in his local community, to help raise awareness of MND is huge. 

“Without his efforts the MND Association simply would not be able to fund vital research to find a cure in order to achieve our vision – a world free from MND and we cannot thank him enough.”

A group of early-morning runners from Knaresborough will be upping the pace this Sunday, when they take part in the first ever Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. 

The 15 members of the Early Bird Running Crew have been in training for 19 weeks to run the 26.2 miles and will be raising money to create a brand-new motor neurone disease (MND) unit, at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds. 

Early Bird Running Crew member Dr Deborah Goldfield said: 

“I’ve felt very passionate about MND ever since a friend was diagnosed with it and later died. 

“It’s one of those stigmatised diseases; there’s a sense of complete and utter despair, because it seems as if there’s nothing you can do. As an A&E doctor, I see it every day.  

“It’s about time we looked very seriously at finding a cure for this appalling disease, and this project gives a massive sense of hope.” 

MND is a condition that progressively damages nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, called motor neurones. These control muscle activity including walking, speaking, gripping, swallowing, and even breathing, and as MND progresses, it can become more difficult to do some or all of these. MND eventually leads to death.

Former Leeds Rhinos rugby league player Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND in 2019. Since then, he has campaigned relentlessly to raise awareness and funds to support families living with the disease. 

MND campaigner Rob Burrow (seated) and best friend and fellow ex-Rhino Kevin Sinfield OBE (right) will cover the marathon course together.

The inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon will see over 10,000 participants take on a new route through Leeds that starts and finishes at Headingley Stadium, home of the Leeds Rhinos. Rob Burrow himself will be cover the route, pushed in his wheelchair by best friend and fellow ex-Rhinos player Kevin Sinfield OBE. 

Dr Goldfield said: 

“If Rob Burrow can do the course, I’m sure we can wheeze our way round it. 

“It would be amazing to be part of creating this new MND unit, so please donate anything you can afford. No worries if that’s just a cheer on!” 

Dr Goldfield, who works at York Hospital, is aiming to raise £500 through the event, which is being held in support of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Appeal as well as the MND Association.

You can help her reach her fundraising target by sponsoring her online.

Dr Deborah Goldfield (back row, centre) with fellow Early Bird Running Crew runners at their Market Place meet-up in Knaresborough.

The Early Bird Running Crew is a social running group that encourages people of all abilities and promotes well-being. It meets daily from Monday to Friday at 6.30am in Knaresborough’s Market Place for a 5k run. A Harrogate group meets at the same times, at the War Memorial in the town centre. 

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A Harrogate couple have run 127 miles in aid of a Motor Neurone Disease charity.

Georgina Hubbert and Robert Hamilton took on the challenge last week in an effort to raise money and awareness of the condition.

The couple ran between 20 and 23 miles a day for six days along the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

Both were raising money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, a charity which funds research and provides support to people with MND.

Ms Hubbert said the couple took on the challenge in memory of her nana, who lived with the condition.

She said:

“She was like a mum to me. She died quite young with it.”

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The couple aimed to raise £2,500 as part of the challenge.

Ms Hubbert, whose family had raised money for the charity before, said this was the first time she had taken on the fundraiser.

The challenge saw the couple start in Liverpool and make their way down the canal over six days before finishing in Leeds.

While the the fundraiser proved to be tough, Ms Hubbert said she enjoyed the experience.

You can donate to the couple’s fundraising effort on their JustGiving page here.

A Harrogate man with motor neurone disease is to scale Snowdon to raise funds for Leeds Hospitals Charity and the MND Association.

Ian Flatt, 56, was diagnosed with the terminal illness in 2019 and needs a ventilator for 16 hours a day.

Despite his diagnosis, he’s already completed two 100-mile trips to raise money for a new state-of-the-art MND facility in Leeds.

His latest challenge will see him ascending the highest mountain in Wales, which is 1,085 metres tall and the equivalent of climbing 4,610 steps.

The Leeds-based hospital charity is raising money to build a new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital, where both men are cared for.

The former Leeds Rhinos player Rob Burrow MBE has become an ambassador for the disease since his own diagnosis in 2019.

Mr Flatt said:

“The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease is very important to us as a family. We’re passionate about supporting other families going through this difficult disease.

“The support of the team at Leeds and their specialist help is so crucial for us to live as well as we can as a family. Whilst my mobility, dexterity and respiratory functions are failing, my sense of adventure remains intact.”

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Mr Flatt’s wife, two daughters and around forty friends will be joining him on the Snowdon trek. Staff from both the MND Centre and Leeds Hospitals Charity will also be climbing the mountain.

The charity’s appeal has raised £2m of the £5m needed to build the new centre.

To donate visit: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/ian-flatt-whats-your-mountain

Harrogate Borough Council has presented the Motor Neurone Disease Association with £15,000, raised through recycling metals recovered from cremations.

The Yorkshire Dales branch of the MNDA was presented with the cheque on Thursday.

Every six months the council picks a charity to raise money for by recycling metals such as coffin parts and replacement joints, with consent from families.

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a condition that attacks the nerves and spine to stop muscle movements. It kills more than half diagnosed within two years and there is currently no cure.

The Yorkshire Dales branch of the association is one of eighty across the country providing care for those with the illness and researching potential cures.

Councillor Andy Paraskos said;

“I’d like to thank those families who, during a difficult time, have consented to us recycling metals recovered. By raising this money, everyone involved has done their bit to helping local charities such as Motor Neurone Disease Association.”

The council has used this scheme in the past to raise money for charities such as Dementia Forward who received £10,000 in 2020.

Jenn Dodd, regional fundraiser for the MNDA, added;

“Without generous donations like this one from Harrogate Borough Council the Yorkshire Dales Branch and MND Association simply would not be able to provide its vital support services, fund research to find a cure and campaign and raise awareness of MND.”

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A Green Hammerton man with motor neurone disease is to embark on a 100-mile trek in aid of a Leeds hospital charity.

Ian Flatt, 56, was diagnosed with the disease two years ago and is to take on the challenge despite needing a respirator for 16 hours a day.

He is fundraising for a Leeds Hospitals Charity appeal to raise £5 million to build the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds.

Ian will complete the 100-mile challenge in a series of 18 walks, which include some of his favourite trails around the Hole of Horcum, Rievaulx Moor, Thixendale and finishing with a trek around the dramatic Sutton Bank escarpment.

He said:

“I was inspired to take on another 100-mile challenge to support this important appeal, spearheaded by Rob and his family. 

“Such a facility would make a vital difference to people like me and our loved ones. A bespoke care centre that meets the needs of MND sufferers and their families is so needed as MND is such a cruel disease.”

Ian, who has already completed a 100-mile trek with his family this year, was diagnosed with MND in March 2019.

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Speaking to the Stray Ferret in May ahead of his fundraising for Saint Michael’s Hospice, he said news of his diagnosis took its toll on his family at first.

However, despite being told not to plan beyond Christmas that year, he was determined not to let his condition stop him being in the great outdoors.

With the help of Saint Michael’s, he got an off-road wheelchair that allows him to continue enjoying walks with his family.

‘My sense of adventure remains intact’

Now, with the support of his wife Racheal and their two daughters, he began his latest trek yesterday.

He said:

“Motor neurone disease is a disease for which there is no treatment or cure, with 50% of sufferers sadly dying within the first two years of diagnosis. 

“Thanks to the critical help, compassion, expertise and kindness provided by the specialist MND team in Leeds, my family and I have maintained our sense of fun, and our wonderful ability to laugh with each other. 

“Whilst my mobility, dexterity and respiratory functions are failing, my sense of adventure remains intact.”

You can donate to Ian’s fundraising effort for the Leeds Hospital Charity appeal here.

Harrogate Railway Athletic Football Club is organising a rugby match in which the players wear prom dresses to raise money for charity.

The club is fundraising in support of former Leeds Rhinos rugby league player Rob Burrow, who has motor neurone disease.

It has already raised £6,200 but would like to achieve £7,000 to match the number 7 Rob wore on his team shirt.

Anne Mitchell, the clubhouse manager, came up with the idea as a finale to the charity walks the club has done for the MND Association.

She said:

“One of the most exciting things is the team names — the sugar plum fairies and the nutcrackers”.

Rob Burrow, who has been raising money for the MND Association since his diagnosis, is supporting the event:

https://twitter.com/RunforRobMND/status/1409262293909753861

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Players from different districts, including Leeds, York, West Park and Stanningley, are taking part in the match at Harrogate Railway AFC.

Details of the event are available on this Twitter account.

A Green Hammerton man with motor neurone disease is embarking on a 100-mile challenge in an off-road wheelchair around the Yorkshire Dales to raise money for charity.

Ian Flatt, who was diagnosed with the condition two years ago, intends to complete a series of walks with his family totalling 100 miles.

The walks will help to raise money for St Michael’s Hospice and MND Association, who have helped to support him and his family.

Ian, with his wife Rachael and two children Charlotte and Iseabail – and their spaniel Nealla – will retrace some of their favourite trips through Fountains Abbey, Bolton Abbey and Malham Tarn among others.

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Back in March 2019, Ian was diagnosed with motor neurone disease after being unwell and struggling to breathe. He had undergone tests for cancer and other illnesses, but was relieved once he received the news.

Ian said:

“It was a relief. I had been ill for a while. It was almost validation.”

At first the diagnosis took its toll on his wife and daughters, but Ian said the care and support from St Michael’s helped them through the tough times.

Despite being told not to plan beyond Christmas that year, he was determined not to let his condition stop him being in the great outdoors.

With the help of St Michael’s he got an off-road wheelchair, which would allow him to continue enjoying walks with his family.

Ian said the wheelchair, which his daughters have named the “Tangerine Dream Machine”, has helped him continue his “sense of adventure” and is like “a mini quad bike”.

He said:

“I have been determined not to let motor neurone disease stop me from doing the things I love to do.

“Walking is just something as a family that we have always done.”

Ian hopes to raise £10,000 for both charities through the walks, which he will start from May 26.

Each walk will be five or six miles at a time.

Ian explained:

“I want to get to the end of it and think that it was hard.”

But he added the ultimate goal is to recognise those at St Michaels and MND Association who have helped him and his family.

“We are just doing something that we enjoy.

“It is not just about the organisations, it’s about the individuals who have helped.”

You can find out more about Ian’s fundraising campaign, which has raised more than £3,500 already, and donate here.