The kind-hearted gesture of a bereaved Redditch family is providing valuable support for residents living with Multiple Sclerosis in the borough.

The family of William Eades - more fondly known as Bill - who sadly died in January, have donated the funds raised from his funeral to the council’s MS Exercise Class in honour of him being a founding member and attending every week.

The classes started over 10 years ago, when the council partnered with local medical professionals to provide targeted exercise sessions for people living with the condition. The workouts are designed for different levels of mobility and provide a set circuit so that participants never have to do anything that they are uncomfortable with.

An unexpected outcome of the class is the friendships and bonds made by both the participants and their carers to form a fantastic, unofficial support group.

During the pandemic, the classes have continued to run via Zoom at a cost of £2.50 per participant and the money raised in Bill’s honour will be used to run these virtual sessions for free, for as long as the funds last. £400 was raised at Bill’s funeral by his family and friends which will mean approximately twenty free sessions for every member of the group.

Hayley Gwilliam, Physical Activity Development Officer for Redditch Borough Council, said: “Bill was a wonderful member of our MS class and he will be sadly missed by everyone. On behalf of everyone in the group, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Bill’s wife Wendy and his generous family. This donation will really make a big difference.

“Often people don’t get referred to us until they start physiotherapy, so we know there are a lot of people out there at the beginning of their MS diagnosis who don’t know anyone else with the condition. As a result, MS can feel quite lonely and this group brings together like-minded people, living with and smiling through similar issues. If you have MS and want to know anything about grants, medication or research – this group is the place to be!”

Portfolio Holder for Leisure services, Cllr Mike Rouse, said: “On behalf of the leisure team at Redditch Borough Council I want to pay tribute to Mr William Eades and his family, to whom we send our continued condolences but also our sincere thanks for their generosity and thoughtfulness towards others.”

“This gesture is a shining light in a dark world that I hope inspires kindness in the hearts of our residents and will provide many people with the comfort of knowing they are not alone with their condition and that excellent support is available.”

Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological condition that affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. ‘Sclerosis’ which means scarring, damages the coating around nerve fibres called Myelin. ‘Multiple’ refers to the fact that this can occur in more than one place in the brain or spinal cord. More than 100,000 people in the UK have MS with symptoms usually starting in a person’s 20’s or 30’s. It affects almost three times as many women as it does men.

The symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis can make it difficult to exercise so this programme pulls together the expertise of local exercise instructors and the MS physiotherapists from the Princess of Wales Community Hospital to create a range of exercises suitable for people with MS.

For more information about the MS classes go to www.redditchbc.gov.uk/MS

If you have any questions or would like a chat about what to expect in the class, please call Hayley Gwilliam our Physical Activity Development Officer on 01527 881404 or email hayley.gwilliam@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk.