Community rallies round MS Centre to raise vital cash
The MS Centre in Lochgilphead has received amazing support since it asked the community to get behind a year of fundraising. Costing £200,000 a year to run, the centre has to compete for grant funding, which has never been in such short supply.
It provides a huge and varied range of support services to people with a vast range of conditions.
Support is offered to people all over Mid Argyll, Kintyre, Islay and Jura through the outreach service and through the Snowdrop Argyll Multiple Sclerosis Centre in Campbell Street, Lochgilphead.
But funds are tight and now the community has answered the call to help.
A 5k community fun run took place from the centre on Saturday February 17, led by Scott McMillan, a local man who is running the London Marathon for the MS Centre.
People of all ages came along to take part, with a total of £557 raised on the day.
And Polly’s Coffee Stop, the soup, cake and coffee cabin based at Lock 10, Dunardry, on the Crinan Canal, donated all of its takings from the same day. This amounted to £267.95, which coffee cabin owner Ishbel Hawson made up to £300.
Ishbel said: “The MS Centre does so much for the community, the things they do are wonderful. But they don’t get as much funding as they should.”
Polly’s Coffee Stop is open on Saturdays and Sundays, which will extend to Fridays and Mondays by Easter time.
And in support of Scott’s London Marathon fundraiser, the Tuesday morning Super Snowdrops group is taking on a 10-week exercise and brain training challenge.
The group offers social, exercise and brain training activity. A coffee morning was held in Tayvallich on Saturday morning, organised by Libby MacDonald in support of the MS Centre. Money was still coming in this week from the event.
Karen McCurry, MS Centre
The Super Snowdrops are also helping to raise funds for the centre; and inset, Ms Centre manager Karen McCurry at Polly’s Coffee Stop. manager, said the support from the community has been overwhelming.
She and husband Brian are taking on the Glasgow Kiltwalk challenge in April. The kilted team McCurry will walk 23 miles from Glasgow to Balloch. Donations on their just giving page are currently standing at £3,246.
Look out for all the latest fundraising events on the MS Centre Facebook page.