Annual collection at the MetroCentre

It was Tyne & Wear Branch’s annual outing to the Gateshead Metro Centre shopping mall.

But this was no mass shopping expedition. Saturday 5 September 2009 was our street collection day when Branch members and supporters swoop down on innocent shoppers to deprive them of their loose change – and their not-so-loose change if possible.

It was a highly successful operation, bringing in £1,208.31 that will help the Branch to help those living with MND. Credit crunch? Recession? Well, maybe, but this was the best total raised by the Branch in recent years.

A noticeable feature of the day was the evidence of growing public awareness of what MND is and how it wrecks lives. This year more shoppers than ever before stopped to tell us of people they know who have been struck down by the disease. Others paused to wish us well, saying that they had seen or read about it and had some idea of its terrible nature.

We are deeply grateful to the wonderful folk who gave us so generously of their loose cash – and paper money in some cases – towards the fight against MND. Our grateful thanks go too to our members and supporters who gave up their time for the cause. Thanks all round!