Dance and quiz to raise money for local man

TWO fundraising events are coming up in the town as the campaign to raise money for Melksham man John Howell nears £10,000.

A tea dance and quiz night are being hosted in the coming weeks by friends of John’s, who are helping him raise £15,000 to adapt to life after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).

The tea dance will be held at Melksham Conservative Club on Sunday 17th April from 2.30pm to 5pm. Entry will be £5 per person and cakes and refreshments will be available.

On Wednesday 20th April there will be a quiz and raffle evening at The Bear on Bath Road, starting at 7pm. Quiz entry will be £5 per team of four, and the winning team will be awarded champagne and £20 cash. Anyone wishing to book a table should call The Bear on 01225 792690 to reserve their place.

There will also be a raffle on the night, and local man Maff Prout will have his head shaved by Emma Petty from The Base hair salon in Bowerhill.

The money is being raised after John was diagnosed with MND in 2014. He and his wife Sally are trying to raise £15,000 to adapt their garage to enable John to remain living at home as the disease increasingly affects his mobility and independence.

John told Melksham News, “Having the room downstairs will help me to lead as normal a life as possible and spend my time with my family. It really would change our lives. There will come a time when my legs won’t carry me any more and, for whatever time I have left, I’d like to have a decent quality of life.”

Motor neurone disease is a progressive disease that deteriorates the nerves and muscles, causing sufferers to lose control of their limbs and eventually their breathing. The condition is incurable.

For more information about the fundraising campaign to help John, go to www.helpjohnhowell.co.uk