South and West Somerset Branch

Welcome to the South and West Somerset Branch

The branch is run entirely by volunteers and aims to provide the best possible support to local people with MND, their families, and carers.

About us

Welcome to the South and West Somerset Branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND).

Run by experienced volunteers we are here for people suspected of or living with MND and for anybody affected by MND in South and West Somerset.

We do the following:

• We raise funds and provide funding, primarily through our grants programme
• We provide information and updates, face to face, emails, and our contact lists.
• We provide information about care and support options in the local area, this includes linking to our network of Support Volunteers and to professionals
• We provide support for people living with or affected by MND, primarily through our monthly support meetings and through our local Association Visitors

News

Tuesday 18th February was a very proud afternoon for the Harris Boys following last year's Cricket Ground fundraising challenge (see below). The boys presented a cheque to Patrick Bagg, Treasurer of the South and West Somerset Branch for £3,755.38. A wonderful effort, we are so grateful. 

On Monday 13th January ran a special charity screening of 'The Miracle Club' starring Laura Linney, Kathy Bates and Dame Maggie Smith. The screening was only possible thanks to the support of the Ritz Cinema in Burnham, the Branch volunteers who organised the event and of course all those who attended. A fantastic total of £812 was raised and a good time had by all. 

On Friday 2nd August Branch Chair Jenny, Secretary Evelyn plus Treasurer and AV Patrick all spent the day at Somerset County Cricket club in Taunton sharing information about what we do and support available in Somerset. 

The invite came thanks to the fundraising efforts of the amazing Harris family - Dad Rich and sons Tom, James and Charlie spent the week visiting all 18 first class county cricket grounds in memory of their Grandad David culminating in their final day visit to Taunton for the Somerset vs Lancashire one day match. 

Together they have already raised over £3500 for the MND Association and their Justgiving page will remain open til the end of October should you wish to support their efforts. 

Image

We were delighted to learn that Branch member Michael Hope was elected as a Trustee for the MND Association at the 2024 AGM in June. Congratulations Michael and we wish you all the very best in your role. 

At our May meeting two volunteers, Daphne Hallett and Val Lowman (pictured), were presented with a certificate of appreciation and flowers in recognition of the support they have provided for over 18 years. They both help in may ways including supporting the Committee at events and providing a crucial role at support meetings by providing wonderful refreshments and enabling the committee to welcome members and spend time with them.

Events

Support group meetings

Branch Support Meetings, open to anyone in the area living with or affected by MND, run on the fourth Thursday of every month from 2.00-4.00pm at West Monkton Village Hall (Monkton Heathfield, TA2 8NE). Dates for 2025 are as follows: 

January 23rd
February 27th
March 27th
April 24th
May 22nd
June 26th
July 24th
September 25th
October 23rd
November 27th

Volunteering opportunities

Have you ever considered volunteering with us? We would love to hear from anyone who is interested in volunteering with us, we can be flexible and explore roles to suit your skills and experience. Some examples of how you can volunteering with us include: 

• Supporting people living with or affected by MND
• Fundraising
• Getting involved in local or national campaigns

For an informal chat re. volunteering with us please contact Andy Graham (Area Support Co-ordinator) on 01604 800 631 or [email protected] 

Like us on Facebook