MND charity releases statement following important update on government funding after pressure from Leeds Rhinos legends
. 21/09/2021. London, United Kingdom. MND Letter Delivered to No10. An open letter signed by hundreds of people with motor neurone disease MND is handed in to Downing Street. The letter urges the government to inject 50m into targeted research over five years. Among those delivering the letter to Number 10 are former assistant chief constable Chris Johnson, ex rugby players Rob Burrow and former Liverpool footballer Stephen Darby. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY xMartynxWheatleyx/xi-Imagesx IIM-22599-0001
Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow has been battling Motor Neurone Disease for three years.
He has been supported in this fight by former skipper and good friend Kevin Sinfield who has raised over £6 million in this fight.
But perhaps the most important battle ground recently in this tussle has been putting the government under pressure to finally release the £50 million in funding they promised.
Now, their victory here has come a step closer after Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay revealed plans to cut through red tape and release the funding.
He said on Twitter: “I will set out our plans to cut red tape and accelerate the allocation of £50 million in funding for MND research, to make breakthroughs in finding a cure and improving treatments.”
Tomorrow I will set out our plans to cut red tape and accelerate the allocation of £50 million in funding for MND research, to make breakthroughs in finding a cure and improving treatments.
Read more @Daily_Express👇 https://t.co/CcG1DCartB— Steve Barclay (@SteveBarclay) December 11, 2022
Meanwhile, he said to the Daily Express: “We must do all we can to support these projects – which include understanding how different types of MND are passed on genetically and even unlocking new treatment options for patients using gene therapy.”
The publication also revealed the following statement from MND charity coalition United to End MND:
“We welcome the fact Mr Barclay has listened to campaigners urging for delivery of the £50million investment in targeted MND research. We would like to understand more about his plans so we can fully understand what the distribution of the funding will look like before commenting fully.We hope to have a chance to discuss this with Mr Barclay soon.”