CAMELFORD town councillor, Kirsty Ferguson, and her daughter Livvy, will aim to raise £150 for the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society when they take part in a 10km walk along the River Thames on Sunday, September 25, writes David Sillifant.

Kirsty, who has suffered with the debilitating disease which affects the central nervous system since 2010, found out about the walk through Livvy, who has struck up a rather unlikely friendship with former JLS singer Oritse Williams.

MS is something that is also close to Oritse’s heart. His mum suffers from the condition and both know how it feels to care for their loved ones.

Livvy who is 14 and regularly cooks, cleans and cares for Kirsty, got the chance to meet Oritse when he gave away a chance for a young fan to star in his latest music video.

Incredibly, Livvy was selected from the hundreds that applied and last month got the chance to meet him where they discussed their respective lives, as well as what it is like having to deal with someone so close to them suffer from MS.

The upcoming walk, which will see a host of celebrities take part, can be completed over a 5, 10 or 15km distance and the mother and daughter duo have gone for the middle option.

However, despite this, Kirsty is expecting it to be extremely tough, especially if the weather isn’t in her favour.

Kirsty said: “It’s going to be very difficult for me to complete but I’ll do as much of it as I can.

“I’ll have to take my walking stick with me and see how I get on, and if the condition’s aren’t in my favour then I’m not sure how far I’ll get, but I’ll be doing as much as I can and Livvy will hopefully finish it regardless.”

Starting at 9am in Battersea, competitors aren’t allowed to run or even jog to encourage everyone to finish.

This isn’t the first bit of fundraising work that Kirsty has got involved in for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. In 2013 she was nominated for her work for the charity, and finished in the top three after raising money through a zipwire, abseiling, a calendar, a firewalk (which her son Alex did) and craft fairs.

But after a break to focus on her health, Kirsty is keen to start giving back again.

She added: “We’ve set a target of £150, mainly through our just giving page, and I hope to get towards that and maybe even exceed it.”

While life can often seem tough for Kirsty. she certainly likes a challenge and who would bet against her exceeding expectations.

If you feel like you would donate to this cause, then please visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/K-Ferguson2