The Muir Maxwell Trust (MMT) was established by Ann and Jonny Maxwell in June 2003, in response to the needs of children with severe epilepsy. Ann and Jonny have 3 sons - Connor, Muir and Rory. Muir, now aged 10, has severe myoclonic epilepsy, with early onset in infancy.
The Trusts remit is to provide practical support to children and their carers, struggling to cope with this devastating and life threatening condition.
Since launch, Ann has raised funds each year by way of a glamorous fundraising ball which is always star studded and literally bursting with wonderful entertainment including Nicola Benedetti, Julian Lloyd Webber, Amici Forever. Many covetable prizes have been donated by HRH The Prince of Wales, Dame Kiri te Kanawa, Rory Bremner with hundreds of thousands of pounds being raised in a single evening.
Since 2003, the Trust has raised some £2.65 million and is on target to raise over £3 million by the end of 2007.
The Muir Maxwell Trust is well known to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, Yorkhill Children's Hospital in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. The Trust supports the work of many of the UK's epilepsy charities and is a friend and supporter of the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy (NCYPE) - a residential centre in Surrey for children with severe epilepsy.
Each month up to 25 life saving epilepsy alarms are distributed to families who are dealing with night time seizures. A DNA sequencer machine, owned by the Trust is currently leased to Yorkhill Children's Hospital, enabling the early diagnosis of genetic epilepsy and currently, two Ketogenic Diet Clinics are sponsored by MMT. Various EEG and video telemetry units have been provided to assist with the diagnostic process.
Professor Brian Neville, who sits in the Chair of Paediatric Epilepsy for Europe, an HRH The Prince of Wales appointment, refers to the Muir Maxwell Trust “as the most significant children's charity raising funds for paediatric epilepsy in the UK
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£1 MILLION BOOST FOR CHILDREN'S EPILEPSY CHARITY
Over £1million was raised for a Scottish-based children's epilepsy charity last night when stars of television and sport joined business leaders at a charity ball in London.
The Muir Maxwell Trust Masked Opera Ball was hosted by Natasha Kaplinsky and the prizes up for grabs ranged from Christopher Biggins' jungle hat to a customised Alpha Romeo Brera called "Mascareri", in keeping with the masked theme.
The star auction item on the night was an exclusive trip to Venice which raised £35,000 and included travel by private jet and three nights at the world-famous Hotel Cipriani, courtesy of Elegant Resorts and Cloud 9.
Other 'must-have' designer items auctioned on the night by former England rugby internationalist Martin Bayfield, included a jewel-encrusted Escada ball gown and a trip for four to next October's 'Fashion Rocks' being held in Moscow.
In addition, a £25,000 diamond ring and the Alpha Romeo car were given away in a prize draw to two lucky winners.
As well as the many exclusive prizes available on the night, over £250,000 was pledged for the purchase of vital diagnostic equipment and life-saving epilepsy alarms which the Muir Maxwell Trust regularly give to families and hospitals throughout the UK.
Host Natasha Kaplinsky (winner of the first series of BBC Strictly Come Dancing) was supported by fellow dancer and former newsreader, Angela Rippon and in keeping with the ballroom theme, British dance champions, Ian Sharpe and Victoria Lawrence, also performed on the night, with music from the London Symphony Orchestra.
The Muir Maxwell Trust, based in Edinburgh, supports children with severe epilepsy and is renowned for spectacular fundraising events. The £1,012,377 raised on Saturday night took the charity well past its £3million fundraising mark – an amazing sum for a charity to raise in four years with only two part-time staff!