About the Merlin Centre for Multiple Sclerosis care

Each time we’ve run a charity event on Bruuuce.com, we’ve included the Merlin Centre for Multiple Sclerosis care. On the one occasion we didn’t, enough people asked to support them to necessitate a change of plans.

Derek and Eileen Murphy, founders
Derek and Eileen Murphy, founders

That means an incredible amount to the founders of this charity for Multiple Sclerosis care. It’s based in a small village in my home county of Cornwall, and is the only one of its kind for hundreds in miles, right in the middle of the area with the highest incidence of multiple sclerosis in the UK.

The founders, Derek and Eileen Murphy, started this venture on their own in 2001. They’ve taken a very personal interest in your donations in the past, and are very humbled that people from around the world would want to donate to their project.

Sadly, in recent times, the Merlin Centre has faced no little adversity. The UK government withdrew their promised funding, leaving the centre to find £300,000 a year to stay in operation. There have been times that closure even seemed likely. But the sheer determination of Dr Murphy and Eileen, coupled with an outstanding community spirit, has given hope. The generosity of people like yourselves is a great comfort and support, and it genuinely means a great deal to them that people an ocean away sincerely want to help.

merlinbuilding
The Merlin Centre for Multiple Sclerosis care

Speaking to all Bruuuce.com visitors in a letter shortly before the Centre’s opening in 2006, Dr Murphy told us:

“You will always have a stake in the building and I hope that you will be proud of it – we want it to be a landmark for Cornwall and a real source of pride for the county and the area. It is certainly going to be a major asset and it is so badly needed… thank you, from us all, for helping Merlin to make a great change for everyone living with MS in Cornwall – a really big thing to do and one for which there are so many grateful people”.

This year, though, has been especially difficult. Dr Murphy suffered a stroke in April, and a month later, whilst helping with his recuperation, his wife Eileen passed away.

The Merlin Centre for Multiple Sclerosis care is in existence thanks to the tireless work of the Murphys, and they are the inspiration behind fundraising efforts on this site. With support such as yours – and you’ve already provided it in the most wonderful way – we hope their legacy will continue for decades to come.

We wanted to give you an idea of the ways in which the Merlin Centre uses your generous donations.

Simply put, they need £300,000 (approximately $500,000) a year to remain open and to support their patients adequately. To break that down:

  • £10 ($17) will pay for a yoga session
  • £15 ($25) will pay for an oxygen therapy session
  • £20 ($34) will pay for a counselling session
  • £20 ($34) will pay for a day’s running cost of their minibus
  • £25 ($42) will pay for a podiatry session
  • £40 ($68) will pay for a physiotherapy session
  • £40 ($68) will pay for an occupational therapy session
The Merlin Centre for Multiple Sclerosis care
The Merlin Centre in operation

Thank you all, very much, for the donations so far. I hope you understand why Merlin were chosen as our principal charity, and why I’m asking for donations. I promise to make the rest of the 20 Days project, and June 30’s Daily Dose Day, the absolute best that it can be for the Merlin Centre, the Murphys and our other charities.

You can donate to the Merlin Centre at our JustGiving page or by using the yellow “Donate” button at the top left.

Thank you!

– Si Twining.

Related:

2009 thank you letter from Dr Murphy to Bruuuce.com community
Merlin Centre founder Eileen Murphy leaves behind a “legacy of achievements”
20 Days of Bruce JustGiving page

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