Ludlow walk will help in Parkinson’s fight

The Ludlow Walk for Parkinson’s event is one of 45 across the UK set to raise over £600,000 for charity Parkinson’s UK’s pioneering research to find better treatments and a cure for the condition.

Jenny Harris, 51, has signed up to take part in the walk because her father has Parkinson’s, and hopes that people of all ages, abilities and fitness levels will join them on the day and take part in the walk.

She said: “My dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s three years ago and it has really slowed him down but doing exercise has been a huge help in managing his symptoms.

“People often misunderstand the symptoms of Parkinson’s and he can feel embarrassed by his tremor, especially in public so I’m doing the walk with my daughter Millie 15, a friend and our dog Flo to raise awareness among our local community about the condition.

“We are all very excited to be part of Ludlow’s first ever Walk for Parkinson’s event and we hope to raise as much money as we can to support those with Parkinson’s.”

Walkers can choose to take part in either a 1.5 mile or 5.5 mile route on June 22.

Both will take walkers through breathtaking scenery and against the backdrop of the fantastic medieval Ludlow Castle alongside the River Teme.

It starts at Ludlow Rugby Club at 6pm.

Earlier this year Parkinson’s UK reported that 86 per cent of people with Parkinson’s in the West Midlands said they’d had negative experiences including being laughed at, accusations of being drunk or unfriendly due to movement problems caused by their Parkinson’s.

Over the past four years Walk for Parkinson’s fundraisers have raised over £1.5 million – and the charity believes that scientists could now be on the verge of a major breakthrough.

The registration fee for the event is £12 for adults and £5 for under 16s. Walkers should aim to raise a minimum of £50 in sponsorship.

To sign up to the walk or to find out more visit parkinsons.org.uk/events/walk-parkinsons-ludlow or call 020 7963 3912.