THE Lifton Bikers have donated a staggering £34,000 to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, following months of fundraising and a cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End.

On Friday, February 10, the Lifton Bikers presented a cheque of £34,000 to the Motor Neurone Disease Association at the Arundell Arms Hotel, in Lifton.

Eight friends decided to set up the group, after they discovered that their close friend had been living with the disease.

Motor neurone disease occurs when the motor neurones, or nerves, in the brain and spinal cord are attacked, meaning a person living with the disease will progressively weaken and it ends up affecting their every day life — from walking, talking, eating, drinking, and breathing.

It affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK, and kills six people per day. A cure is yet to be found.

Paul Davis, a member of the Lifton Bikers, told the Post: “At the time, when we set the group up, a friend of ours was suffering from the disease and he eventually lost his battle with it just before Christmas. He’s been the inspiration for us to do this, and inspired us to raise money and awareness for the charity.

“It’s a staggering amount of money, and the charity seemed absolutely blown away by the donation. It is a terribly underfunded charity, and a very debilitating disease, and the cost of care is hardly funded. It’s important for the families to be able to get support from the Motor Neurone Disease Association, so it really is an amazing amount of money for the charity to be able to provide the support that is needed.”

To raise such a sum, the Lifton Bikers held various fundraising events, including a band night at Lifton Strawberry Fields, a cream tea afternoon at the Fox and Grapes Inn, a quiz night and a big breakfast event.

This was all leading up to their big fundraising event in September 2016, when they cycled from John O’Groats to Land’s End.

The response they have received from the charity has encouraged the group to take on another challenge later this year — the Great River Race.

On September 9, the Lifton Bikers will cycle 22 miles, starting from the Thames. They hope to receive as much support as they have done before.

Paul explained that the community spirit and support has been fantastic, adding: “That’s one of the most amazing parts of it — the whole community got behind us. Lifton and the Lifton community, and other areas such as Launceston — the whole area jumped behind it, and emptied their pockets whenever they could.”

Denise Davies, head of community fundraising at the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, said: “Without the amazing support of the likes of the Lifton Bikers, the MND Association simply would not be able to provide its vital support services, fund research to find a cure and campaign and raise awareness of MND. Together, we are making a real difference for people affected by this devastating disease.”