Charity celebrates after receiving vital support from grant-giving Postcode Society Trust
Posted on September 5th, 2023
The Muscle Help Foundation (MHF) charity, with is headquarters now based in Hampshire, is celebrating after being awarded a grant of £10,000 from Postcode Society Trust, a grant-giving charity funded entirely by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
MHF provides transformational experiences for families living with Muscular Dystrophy (MD) and will use this funding to deliver even more of its highly personalised wish-fulfilment interventions that give powerful physiological and psychological benefits such as improving emotional and mental wellness, boosting confidence, uplifting self-esteem and reducing isolation through social connection.
Designed to be restorative and uplifting, ‘Muscle Dream’ beneficiaries are empowered by being given the chance to realise their goals, dreams and aspirations – be that taking the controls of an aircraft and experiencing level flight, acquiring a new skill or spending two days as part of an immersive sports car experience as part of the charity’s signature Porsche Muscle Dream programme at Silverstone. These powerful interventions bring connection and hope directly to vulnerable beneficiaries and their families.
MHF organises and facilitates highly personalised events, experiences, and activities, called Muscle Dreams, for young people and young adults (8-28yrs) with Muscular Dystrophy or related muscle-wasting conditions and their families. The charity, which is 20 years old this year, is currently running a national campaign called The Power of 657 and its mission is simple – to deliver 657 transformational wish fulfilment experiences for children, young people and their families with Muscular Dystrophy in the UK, that’s one life-changing experience for every muscle in the human body.
| Michael McGrath, MBE and CEO of the Muscle Help Foundation charity, said: “Muscletastic thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery – this grant means that we can deliver even more of our unique Muscle Dream experiences. Times are really hard for charities right now, so funding like this makes such an important difference to small charities like ours – by the end of August 2023, we will have delivered just over 500 Muscle Dream interventions with a further 157 to go to reach the overall target of 657 – this funding will move the dial along over the coming 12 months!” |
CASE STUDY
Back in 2013, Alex Tait, then aged 14yrs, took part in one of the early Muscle Help Foundation (MHF) charity’s Porsche Muscle Dreams Driving Experience programmes – his participation sparked the start of a truly wonderful journey which today sees Alex as a fully-fledged professional racing driver, mentor and coach for other aspiring racing drivers. If ever there was a true-life story that evidences exactly what MHF does and the impact it brings in changing lives, Alex’s is it. Read his full story here: Beneficiary Case Study: Alex – Muscle Help Foundation
ABOUT THE POSTCODE SOCIETY TRUST
Head to: www.postcodesocietytrust.org.uk
ABOUT 2023 – MHF’S 20th ANNIVERSARY YEAR
2023 sees the charity reach a milestone, its 20th Anniversary – since 2003, it has touched the lives of 1000’s of people across the UK living with Muscular Dystrophy, from families and local communities to schools and businesses; today, its impact and reach continues to grow.
Plans for other unique Muscle Dream experiences and programmes in the 2023 / 2024 period are shaping up – right now, with the cost of living crisis in mind, every single penny counts, so please, if you’re able to support our cause with a donation, whatever you can give, whether £6.57 or £20.00 to mark MHF’s 20th anniversary, all donations will be hugely appreciated – thank you.
To push on with its 657 mission, the charity is not only looking to establish new partnerships and collaborations but like many small charities, it desperately needs support in order to continue its important work – if you can help, please donate £20.00 or whatever you can give by clicking HERE – thank you.
GREAT PARTNERSHIPS START WITH A STORY – WILL YOU HELP TELL OURS?
Part of this milestone anniversary year is a focus on storytelling, a powerful tool that can influence behaviours, change mindsets and move people to take action. We know that storytelling in today’s digital age is crucial – stories have to cut through which is why we have published several new beneficiary case studies, powerfully illustrating via personal insights, emotions and feelings why MHF’s work matters and how you can easily support our mission by helping to tell our story.
ABOUT THE CHARITY’S IMPACT
Uplifting, joyful and often cathartic in nature, MHF’s academically validated work and impact is rooted in the idea that well executed, shared experiences can be powerfully transformative in nature.
ABOUT MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY (MD)
Thanks to MHF’s friends at Muscular Dystrophy UK, new research reveals that approximately 110,000 people (babies, children and adults) in the UK live with muscle-wasting conditions. Muscular Dystrophy is a progressive condition that gets worse over time. It is the single biggest genetic killer of children in the world today. It robs sufferers of their mobility, their independence and finally for those with the most severe type (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy or DMD), their lives. Although there is some excellent research going on around the world, there is still currently no known treatment.
ABOUT MHF’S UNIQUE POINTS OF DIFFERENCE
Over the past 12-months, MHF’s tailored approach in operationalising bespoke virtual ‘person-centred’ Muscle Dream programmes continued to deliver positive outcomes for beneficiaries and families. The ‘lived experience’ of the charity’s CEO (Michael McGrath) who has Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD2A) and who is the driving force of the organisations work, provides both a unique, valuable and trusting influence on those for whom MHF exists to serve.
ABOUT MHF’S VULNERABLE BENEFICIARIES
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most severe form of Muscular Dystrophy (MD) – it is life-limiting affecting approximately 1 in 3,500 new-born boys. The vast majority (some 96%) of MHF’s beneficiaries are boys and young adults with DMD. On average, those aged 10-13yrs will transition into a manual wheelchair. By the time they reach 17-19yrs, breathing, cardio and diminishing arm movements are increasingly prevalent.
THINK 657 – THE MORE UNUSUAL AND INTRIGUING, THE BETTER!
| Michael McGrath, MBE and CEO of the Muscle Help Foundation charity, said: “The more unusual and intriguing the connection to the number 657, the greater the opportunity to tell our charity’s story.” (Source: Michael McGrath MBE, CEO, Muscle Help Foundation) |
MHF is running a national campaign called The Power of 657 and its mission is simple – to deliver 657 transformational interventions for children, young people and their families with Muscular Dystrophy in the UK, that’s one life-changing experience for every muscle in the human body.
WHAT’S YOUR 657 CHALLENGE?
We would like you to think about the number 657 – the charity is on the lookout for all/any links to the number 657 and as such, we are keen to establish mutually beneficial collaborations ideally around 657. So, get in touch if you know of any connections in your world or in your work and remember, the more unusual, the more intriguing, the better!
