18 July 2022 Care

Ian Lev in a wheelchair

The Wolfson Foundation has pledged a grant of £75,000 to the MND Association to fund wheelchair accessories and communication aids for people living with motor neurone disease (MND).

Sally Light, Chief Executive of the MND Association, said:

“A huge thank you to the Wolfson Foundation for this grant which will help to provide much needed support for people living with MND and improve their quality of life. The Foundation has generously supported the Association over many decades, awarding over £1.4m since 1993. They have funded items such as riser recliner chairs, communication aids and wheelchair accessories to support people living with the disease now, as well as recently awarding a grant of £750,000 towards the Lady Edith Wolfson Non-Clinical Fellowships helping us towards our vision of a world free from MND.”

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation said:

“Our relationship with the Motor Neurone Disease Association goes back over three decades. We are delighted to support the remarkable work of the charity as it seeks to combat this most challenging of diseases. We hope that this support for specialist equipment will help to improve the lives of people living with MND.”

The Association offers equipment loan and financial support for people living with MND. This includes communication aids and apps to support people who face communication difficulties or a loss of voice.

Our Wheelchair Support Service can provide add-on accessories that the local wheelchairservice is unable to fund, such as attendant controls, a powerpack or a seat riser.

Ian Lev, who is living with MND and received a grant from the Association to fund the elevating part of his wheelchair, said:

“I can now join in with conversations when people are standing, as well as being able to rise myself up to hotel receptions, shopping counters and bars.

“Without the seat riser, I would either have everyone looking down on me, or I’d miss out on parts of the conversation. Being able to engage in conversation at eye level makes me feel more positive and included, I don’t need to ask people to repeat what they’re saying because they’re over my head and above my ears.

“I’ve used the seat riser on holiday too, to order some drinks and food at the poolside bar. Those types of bars are quite high when you’re in a wheelchair. Without the rising seat, I’d be shouting up over the bar and the person behind the bar would have to lean over to see me and speak to me.

“I don’t go shopping that much, but when I do, the seat riser helps me see what’s on the shelves easier. When I’m sunbathing on our patio, the sun sets over a hedge and at the end of the day I can elevate the wheelchair to catch the last half an hour of sun!

“Thank you to those who have helped the MND Association fund the seat riser on my wheelchair. Thank you for helping me feel like a normal person.”

Find out more about the support the Association can offer

More help and support is available from our MND Connect Support team.

About the Wolfson Foundation

The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.

Since it was established in 1955, some £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 14,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review.

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