Princess Anne meets with MND patients at Royal Reception

On Thursday 19th October, MND Scotland held a reception in the presence of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, at Glasgow City Chambers.

The event presented an opportunity for Her Royal Highness, who is the Royal Patron of the charity, to hear about the work of MND Scotland, meet some of those affected by the condition, as well as a chance to talk to those who provide support services.

The reception opened with a welcome from the charity’s CEO, Craig Stockton, followed by a speech from the Chairman of MND Scotland, Lawrence Cowan, who said “Thank you to everyone.  Not just for being here, but for what you do day in, day out to support people with MND. 

“And thank you to Her Royal Highness for joining us.  It’s a real honour to welcome you today.  You are more than our patron, you are a friend to the whole MND community in Scotland and for that I thank you.  

“And that’s why we’re here today – friendship and solidarity.  You may not know everyone in the room, but we have a common bond – we want to see the end of Motor Neurone Disease.”

Lawrence went on to announce new upcoming services from the charity including an MND helpline, an online academy to educate health professionals and carers and an advocacy service. He also paid tribute to his late friend and MND campaigner, Gordon Aikman.

He said “In February, I lost my best friend Gordon Aikman to this disease.  I miss him every day.  But every time I cry, it makes me more determined than ever to beat this disease once and for all.  

“You see, I lost my best friend but that loss gave me a cause – a determination to turn that grief into good.

“And that’s the most powerful thing about everyone in our movement. Our determination.  It means that we can do anything.”

On the day Her Royal Highness spoke to thank people affected by MND, supporters, volunteers, staff, health professionals and researchers for everything they have done to support the charity and improve the lives of people with MND. She gave a special thank you to Lucy Lintott, the youngest person in Scotland with MND, and rugby legend, Doddie Weir, for their exceptional efforts to raise awareness of the condition.

Following her speech The Princess Royal took the time to speak to everyone in attendance. She had the opportunity to hear from people affected by illness and those who are closely involved in the charity.

You can view all of the photographs from the reception on MND Scotland’s Flickr account.