Tadley siblings' fundraiser for MND in memory of grandfather

John Coker died from the disease in 2018

A DYNAMIC brother and sister duo from Tadley have raised more than £1,300 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association in memory of their grandfather, who died from the disease in May 2018.

Reece and Ashleigh Coker, aged 21 and 25, each ran 50 miles throughout January to raise money for the charity, which helped look after their grandfather John following his diagnosis with the condition.

The siblings, who went to The Hurst Community College, smashed their initial £150 target, raising £1,310 for the charity, with the proceeds going to the Reading and West Berkshire branch.

Ms Coker, who works for the emergency services, said the charity had looked after their grandfather when he needed it most.

She said: “He was so well looked after when it was most crucial.

“As he got more ill he needed more and more support and care.

“He couldn’t eat in the end, or speak or swallow, and the charity would come and help my nan Carol. She was his main carer.

“We were a very close family and he was a real family person – he always came to support my brother playing rugby and on Sundays we would always get together as a family.

“I was shocked at how much we raised – I don’t know how it crept up so quickly.

“People are so generous.

“The charity haven’t been able to do their normal fundraising so it was nice to give them a little boost.”

Ms Coker said they’d decided to do a running challenge after the gyms were forced to close due to coronavirus restrictions.

She added: “We both normally go to the gym and we were at a bit of a loss with the gyms being closed, so we decided to run instead.

“It was a bit of a challenge with the daylight because we were going when we finished work, and it was dark and cold, but we’re both quite sporty so we weren’t struggling.

“It was nice because we tried to go faster and longer.”

Mr Coker, who works at Progressive Technology in Newbury, making parts for Formula 1 cars, said the charity had made everything so easy for the family during their time of need.

He said: “We were so happy with how he was treated, especially at the West Berkshire branch, and how they made the process as easy as possible.

“It was really well handled.

“It was just small things that made a big difference – they left the visits to us and they handled everything else.

“They were nice people that just wanted to help. Nice, nice people that just loved their jobs.

“When we decided to do this run we didn’t have to think twice about which charity to choose – it was always going to be them.”

On his grandfather, Mr Coker said: “There was nothing he wasn’t involved in, he loved everything to do with his grandchildren.

“Wherever I was playing rugby or football, home or away, he’d come. He loved it all.”

To donate, visit the website https://uk.gofundme.com/f/699639-a-cause-i-care-about-needs-help?qid=ba9d492a124c2d29320bfb75f6c08b28