Bristol walkers raise more than £18,000 for Parkinson’s research

Bristol walkers raise more than £18,000 for Parkinson’s research

Posted on: 22 Aug 2023

152 walkers and 14 dogs have made a stride towards a Parkinson’s cure at an event at Bristol’s Blaise Castle for Parkinson’s UK’s ‘Walk for Parkinson’s’.

 

The £18,000 raised by the walkers will help fund vital research to find better treatments as well as a cure for the condition. Bristolian fundraisers had the choice of a 1-mile family friendly accessible route or a challenging 6-mile route with both taking in the beautiful scenery of Blaise Castle Estate.

 

Find out more about Parkinson’s UK from the charity’s website.

 

 

Speaking about the fundraising event, Melissa Rankin (Regional Fundraiser of the South West at Parkinson’s UK) has said:
 

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in Walk for Parkinson’s at Blaise Castle, as well as all the volunteers who made the event possible. You are all amazing! Local singer Stephanie Watts entertained our walkers throughout and Kevin Fry from PD Warrior Bristol made sure all our walkers were warmed up and ready to go.


“In Bristol and Bath alone there are 1,220 people living with Parkinson’s and the amazing efforts of everyone who took part in Walk for Parkinson’s has helped us drive forward the groundbreaking research we urgently need to transform the lives of people affected by the condition.”

 

Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, affecting around 145,000 people in the UK. It is what happens when the brain cells that make dopamine begin to die. There many symptoms, from tremors and pain to anxiety; some are treatable, but the drugs has serious side effects.

 

The disease gets progressively worse and there’s no cure, yet. Parkinson’s UK is a research and support charity aimed at everyone affected by the condition. Funding research into the most promising treatments and taking a step closer to a cure every day.

 

Further information, advice and support is available on the Parkinson’s UK website, or on their free, confidential healthline on 0808 800 0303.

Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.