“This was for my dad, and for every family going through the same thing.”

Philip Moir, a 36-year-old firefighter from Greenock, recently completed Ben Nevis with eight other firefighters, all from different stations. They climbed the 4,413 ft mountain wearing full fire gear and have successfully raised over £7,500 for MND Scotland.

Philip and the team took on the challenge in honour of Philip’s father, Peter Moir, who was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) in March 2024.

Philip lived in Wemyss Bay until the age of 21, where he then moved to Skelmorlie. He met his wife, Amanda, in 2010, and the couple moved to Greenock in 2022.

Before joining the fire service, Philip worked as a joiner for thirteen years. He said, “It taught me graft, responsibility, and turning up for people – values that transferred straight into the fire service.”

Philip formally joined the fire service in 2018 after completing a 16-week training course in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire.

Being posted locally was something he describes as a privilege, “To serve your own community hits differently. You know the streets, the people, and what is at stake. I can’t see myself anywhere else.”

Speaking about working as firefighter, Philip said “There’s always that push and pull, knowing you are needed, but also knowing what you’re missing at home. It takes a lot of your time, but it is good for the community. That is something every firefighter under-stands.”

He describes firefighting as both physically and mentally demanding, always being prepared to be ready to respond to calls. However, nothing could prepare Philip and his family for Peter’s MND diagnosis.

“My dad had always lived an active life,” Philip said. “He was a scuba diver for over fifty years. The sea was his freedom. Diving was who he was.”

Peter experienced symptoms during his last few dives. He had difficulty breathing and had trouble pressing the air inflators. That is when he first noticed that something wasn’t right.

Peter was diagnosed with MND in March 2024, and died in November 2025.

The average life expectancy of someone with MND is just 18 months from diagnosis. MND is a rapidly progressing terminal neurological illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles. This causes muscle weakness and wasting. MND can rob someone of the ability to walk, talk, swallow and breathe. There is no cure or meaningful treatments.

Philip said, “When my dad was first diagnosed, I knew I wanted to do something. There are eight other firefighters on my Watch, and they all wanted to do something in support of my dad. When the Watch says they’ve got your back, they mean it. They stepped up with no hesitation.”

“Our family received so much support from MND Scotland, MND nurses, and MND specialists. After he was diagnosed, time just went by so quickly.”

The group of nine – William McCall, David Anderson, Philip, Jordan Falconer, George McCready, Cassian Kime, Craig Evans, Marc Swan and Jamie Cuffe – chose a challenge that mirrored the demands of their job – climbing Ben Nevis in full fire kit.

Speaking about the challenge, Philip said, “The fire kit keeps you warm, but we had it on for nine hours each way. Wearing a fire kit on a mountain is a completely different test. It really pushes your body and your mind.”

To prepare for their challenge, Philip and the team regularly went to the gym and participated in multiple Monroe climbs across Scotland. Philip said, “We set a goal, and my team were all in. We all started training for it and put in a lot of effort, which proved to be worthwhile.”

“On the day of the challenge, we had a team of about twelve volunteers who helped carry water and provided moral support. The teamwork was incredible. Everyone played a part,” Philip added.

The kit itself added significant physical demand. Philip said, “It is typical for a firefighter to wear their fire kit for no more than thirty to forty minutes.”

“The kit itself weighs around 14kg, and with added accessories or attachments, the to-tal can be anything up to about 18kg. We are very grateful to the team at Oban Training Centre for generously donating the kits for this challenge.”

“This was for my dad, and for every family going through the same thing,” Philip said.

Last month, Greenock Fire Station also held a community car wash day, which helped raise over £4,700. This will be equally split between two charities, The Fire Fighters Charity and MND Scotland.

Speaking about the charity car wash, Philip said, “The team washed cars all day from about 10.30am to 3pm. The support was overwhelming. It showed how much this community cares. People kept coming back. We want to try and do more.”

MND Scotland would like to thank Philip and the team for their support in helping to raise vital funds for MND Scotland. If you would like to support the team by donating, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/greenock-fire-ben-nevis

If you would like to make time count for families affected by MND and take on a challenge to help raise funds, please visit www.mndscotland.org.uk or email: fundraising@mndscotland.org.uk for more information.