Kilimanjaro Climb

Gareth Ogden completed a climb of Mount Kilimanjaro raising more than £1,520.

Gareth’s uncle was a founder member of the Association 30 years ago and in this anniversary year, he decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. On his ‘just giving’ page he says, “The MND Association is a charity that means a lot to me and my family. My uncle died from MND at about the age I am now (35) so I want to raise awareness and hopefully a few donations."

It was a very tough climb over five days over rough terrain but mainly because the effects of the altitude take their toll on progress. Only 6 of the group of 12 reached the summit and Gareth was one of these. On his blog he writes: “with one final push we were there.. again the last few steps are emotional. 8.30am - Uhuru peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro and highest point in Africa. The pressure of taking this on and asking people to support you is relieved. It’s now all justified. There are a lot of things and a lot of people you think about. Then there is the most spectacular view everywhere- amazing glaciers also the barren crater itself. I won't even begin to try to describe it, it is very 'other worldly' ".

Gareth is very grateful to everyone who sponsored him so generously and the experience brought home to him just how tough life with MND must be.

About the Branch

The Oxfordshire Branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association is dedicated to providing help and support to people in the area affected by MND including their carers, families and friends.

Our aims are to raise funds and increase public awareness of the disease. We cannot achieve these aims without volunteers, and we need as many as possible, even for the smallest tasks. Please visit our Volunteers page to see how you could become involved.

We have a close relationship with Health and Social Care Professionals in our area such as Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Dieticians, Social Workers, Medical and Care Staff. Some of our volunteers attend the MND Care Centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Among the support services we provide is a team of trained Association Visitors who will visit families when requested. The Branch also holds regular Family and Friends meetings for people living with MND and their carers. These give people an opportunity to meet with others who are living with the disease, and to share experiences and ideas.

Fundraising and raising awareness about MND in the general public are also very important aspects of Branch activities. For meetings and events planned for the next few months please visit our Events page.

We are always investigating ways in which we can help. Our Support page provides information on a number of Support Services available nationally and in the Oxfordshire area. We have also collected together a number of items of interest on our Information page. This provides links to other websites, information about books and other materials that may be helpful, and some advice on things such as travel, technology, and mobility equipment.

For details on how to contact members of the Branch, a map of the area covered by the Branch, and links to adjoining branches, please visit our Contacts page.

The Branch is one of over eighty local groups that are affiliated with the National Motor Neurone Disease Association. For information about the work of the Association (founded in 1979) and up to date news about research into the disease and advances in care, please visit the website at www.mndassociation.org.