Sharon Watson, 59, from Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, recently organised a heartfelt charity afternoon tea with the support of family and friends in memory of mum, Phyllis Shaw, raising over £4000 of vital funds for MND Scotland.  

The charity afternoon tea took place on Saturday, 24 August, at The Anglers, Annan, and brought together friends, family, and local community members to help raise vital funds for a good cause. Guests enjoyed a selection of teas, coffees, homemade cakes and treats, and they took part in various raffles and auctions, all in aid of MND Scotland.   

Phyllis Shaw worked as an auxiliary nurse in Dumfries Hospital and continued her passion for helping others as she moved on to work within the care industry for several years before taking early retirement.  

She met her husband, John in 1960, and together, the couple had four children, thirteen grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren – with another addition on the way. Sharon recalls her mother as being bubbly and enjoyed gardening and spending time with her family.  

Phyllis was experiencing continuous pain in one hand for several months. After numerous appointments, tests, and scans, Sharon, along with her mother and father, visited the hospital in Edinburgh in January 2024 where Phyllis was told she had motor neuron disease (MND). Other than hearing the sad news of Doddie Weir and Rob Burrows, motor neuron disease wasn’t something Sharon or her family were too familiar with. Phyllis experienced no other symptoms.   

Sharon said: “It was a complete shock when we received the news. She’d lost all the strength in her arms shortly after her diagnosis. My dad got a recliner chair for her to make her more comfortable. She eventually couldn’t walk at all and was restricted to a wheelchair. She wasn’t able to feed herself – my dad did everything for her”. 

Phyllis died three months later in hospital – just a few days after her 79th birthday.  Three weeks before she sadly passed away, she was hospitalised due to a chest infection and had pneumonia. 

This year would have been Phyllis and John’s 60th Diamond Wedding Anniversary. Sharon and her brother organised a trip to the Lake District with their father to mark the occasion and help take his mind off what would have been a remarkable milestone for them both.  

Sharon had previously organised several fundraising events for other charities, and they have always been extremely successful and well-attended. She wanted to organise an event that celebrated the life of Phyllis, and to help raise money for MND Scotland. In total, Sharon and her family raised an incredible £4048.95 at the charity afternoon tea event.  

The generous contribution from Sharon and those who donated towards the event will directly benefit those impacted by MND across Scotland and help make time count for those living with the disease. 

Thanking supporters, Sharon said: “I would like to thank all my amazing family that helped on the day with the raffle, tombola, and games: Paula, Tracy, John, Carol, Danny, Ethan, Shannon, Margaret and my dad. I can’t thank the Anglers enough, Sean and all his amazing staff you all did great, including Hayley in the kitchen who organised the afternoon tea for everyone. Thanks to everybody who donated to the raffle. All local businesses were amazing. And of course, Caroline and Alan for the music – you had the place bouncing!.”    

MND Scotland would like to thank Sharon and everyone who attended the charity afternoon tea and for raising an incredible amount of funds. Our work is powered by thousands of fundraisers like Sharon, across Scotland and beyond.

Every penny supports families affected by MND and enables vital MND research to bring us closer to a cure. If you would like to organise a fundraising event like Sharon and help support the fight against MND, please visit our website for more information about how our fundraising team can help: https://mndscotland.org.uk/get-involved/.

For more information about MND Scotland and how we can support you or your family, please visit: www.mndscotland.org.uk, email: info@mndscotland.org.uk or call: 0141 332 3903.