InYourArea Community

Fundraising champion to take on the Great North Run for Parkinson's

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition for which there is currently no cure, and it affects around 148,000 people in the UK.

InYourArea Community

By InYourArea Community

Written by Martin Fletcher Edited by Sarah Leonard

The race to find a cure for Parkinson's continues with a local man's fundraising efforts.

44-year-old Martin Fletcher is set to tackle the Great North Run on Sunday, September 8 in honour of the work Parkinson's UK have done for his father.

Local to Clowne in Chesterfield, Derbyshire he is hoping to raise over £1000 for the charity by taking on the challenge of his first ever marathon.

The Great North Run sees participants run from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields, Tyne and Wear.

Derbyshire-local-takes-on-a-marathon-task-to-battle-Parkinson-s-diseaseMartin in his sponsored running gear

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition for which there is currently no cure, and it affects around 148,000 people in the UK.

Martin said: "It's going to be tough but I'm proud to be raising money that will help support people with Parkinson's, like my Dad, and help Parkinson's UK researchers find a cure."

Parkinson's UK estimate that there are more than 40 symptoms of the condition.

As well as the most widely known symptom - tremor - these range from physical symptoms like muscle stiffness to depression, anxiety, hallucinations, memory problems and dementia, but Parkinson's affects everyone differently.

The charity aims to find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson's through pioneering information, support and campaigning.

Every penny makes a difference and I'm hoping to raise as much as I can.

All of the work undertaken by Parkinson's UK is dependent on donations.

You can sponsor Martin by visiting his JustGiving page here: justgiving.com.