Pedalling Haddenham Hillbillies wheel in with a whopping £7k for MS centre

The Chilterns Multiple Sclerosis Centre had a visit from six members of the Haddenham Hillbillies who presented a cheque for the amazing amount of £7,633.05, on Saturday, March 17.

This incredible amount was raised by the local cycling group who take on cycling challenges around the world to raise money for good causes.

Last summer they cycled 400 miles from Haddenham to Norwich and Colchester and back again, to raise money for the centre.

The Hillbillies were David Finch, Andy Coles, Damien Natale, Matt Akerman, Matt Fields, Martin Roberts, Rob and Sara Rydings, Steve Fitzpatrick and Niall Pritchard. The group was followed in the support van by an all-female crew - Tracey Natale, Donna Gascoyne and Michele Finch.

David Finch said: “We did our first challenge in 2012, riding coast-to-coast and raising money for the MS Centre as one of our members has a family connection to it, so we understand the importance of such a place to the wellbeing of someone living with multiple sclerosis and we decided to support the charity again last year.

“Even though cycling in East Anglia is relatively flat, it didn’t make it any less challenging as we were sitting on the bike for some seven hours a day for four days! We all powered through and got our reward at 12 miles to go, when we finally got to have the Magnum ice cream we had been dreaming about every day.”

The donation will help to fund over 200 hours of treatments and support for people with multiple sclerosis living in the local area. Many of these are not usually available on the NHS. With the right treatment and support they are able to manage their symptoms and remain independent for as long as possible, and so the centre is a lifeline to many of its members.