Alnwick donate £5,000 to Doddie charity

And there was a very special presentation, with former Newcastl;e falcon and Scottish International Doddie Weir receivoing a cheque for £5,000, which will go to his charity, ‘My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.’

The money was raised at a recent players’ luch when all funds went to the Charitable Trust.

Doddie is one of rugby’s most recognizable personalities. He earned 61 caps for Scotland during a successful playing career, represented the British and Irish Lions on their successful tour to South Africa in 1997, and won championships with his two club sides, Melrose and Newcastle Falcons.

A talented, committed and athletic lock forward, Doddie is now facing his biggest challenge.

In June 2017 the Scot revealed he was suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.

From the outset, Doddie has been driven to help fellow sufferers and seek ways to further research into this, as yet, incurable disease.

In November 2017 Doddie and his Trustees , including a number of key figures from the game, launched the registered charity.

Its aims are simple:

To raise funds to aid research into the causes of Motor Neurone Disease and investigate potential cures.

To make grants to individuals suffering from MND, to enable them to live as fulfilled a life as possible.

Doddie says: “It is frustrating that there has been so little progress over the last two decades. I want to push the need for research into MND further up the agenda. We may be too late in finding something that can help me, but I am committed to doing everything I can to help find a cure.

“My attitude is that you should do what you can today and worry about tomorrow when it comes. This is the card I’ve been dealt so I’ve just got to crack on.”

Doddie wants to help those touched by MND – be it fellow sufferers or their families having to deal with the daily consequences – with basic and practical relief, whether that be to help with mobility and transport needs, with care and respite, or access and basic living requirements.