MMT Continues to Make Progress

MMT CONTINUES TO MAKE PROGRESS

It's been a while since my last blog and we have been busy.

In December we had our Casino Royale event which was an amazing success raising over £410,000. We are so grateful to all those who attended and for their enormous display of support. We are focussed now on the launch of our assessment service and I would hope to have some very exciting news on progress in this regard in the next few weeks.

We have embarked on our 2009 fundraising year with considered reticence in terms of expectation.  There is no doubt that times are difficult, fundraising is hard and the time and place for glamorous events may be behind us for the moment.  I recently advised all of our supporters by letter that for now our glamorous balls have been postponed. A number of smaller events will replace our annual ball this year and our expectations are reduced, in keeping with the prevailing climate.

That said, we are very excited about our annual Art Fair organised for MMT by the Gallery Girls and this year hosted by Bonhams in Edinburgh.   We are grateful to Fettes College and Prep School who raised substantial funds for MMT on their Charity Race Day with almost every pupil participating. We are especially excited about our road show  in May with Biggins, comprising a series of breakfast seminars across Scotland, the purpose of which is to create awareness of our cause and the work that we do.

Thanks to Kirsty Wark, Fiona Kennedy, Kaye Adams, Stephen Jardine and Shereen Nanjiani for hosting these events in each city. I am also thrilled that Biggins is staying on after the road show to host a "Kitchen Nightmares" evening in our local pub, the Sun Inn at Eskbank. The month of May concludes with the Edinburgh Marathon.  Good Luck to all our runners.

After the summer break we will have an event for the girls and their grown up daughters - not to be missed, an Afternoon Tea at the Balmoral in Edinburgh. With pink champagne, Earl Grey tea, cucumber sandwiches and cup cakes!  And then December is for the guys in London with a gentlemen's Christmas Shopping Evening.

Please watch this site carefully for details of all events although we will correspond with you too in the same regard.

In March I was honoured to be asked to speak at the "Mind the Gap" conference at the Royal College of Physicians in London. Speakers highlighted the gaps in the care of our children with epilepsy in their respective area of expertise.  My presentation was from a mother's perspective.  It was pleasing, albeit disheartening to realise that there is a unanimous view that our children are being let down in their standard of care.

Muir is thriving at the moment.  He has finally begun his residential placement at his school, currently two nights a week and increasing to four very soon.  I think he loves it.  His reaction is quite different from what I was expecting.  I thought it might take some time for him to settle in but he seems to have accepted the new arrangement with ease and is enjoying the new level of stimulus, the residence being extremely active most evenings.  I am thrilled.  We could not have achieved a better outcome.  The facility is outstanding.  The staff are amazing.  If only more parents were able to win the support of their local authority in favour of a similar placement.  It is most definitely the right place for Muir.

Fingers crossed for a successful fundraising season.  Times are tough and so we need more help than ever!

Best wishes to all,

Ann Maxwell
Muir's Mum