A man diagnosed with motor neurone disease will be towed the length of Windermere tomorrow in a Kayak by his friends in a bid to raise money for an Ulverston charity.

Alan Towart and friends will take on the fundraising challenge tomorrow for St Mary's Hospice.

Alan said: "The impact of MND is huge, starting from the moment that you are given your diagnosis. Emotionally it was hard to understand and accept that this was happening to me, it felt like our lives as a happy family were being torn apart and that we were grieving for the life that I was losing.

"Then as you are introduced to the specialist MND nursing and care teams like St Mary's Hospice you can start to feel looked after and cared for through the social groups and the amazing complementary therapies which they offer. Unfortunately due to Covid all of this has stopped for now.

"After living with MND for three and a half years now, I know that I'm one of the luckier ones where the disease has been slow to progress and this has both helped and inspired me to fundraise for St Mary's Hospice and the MND Association.

"This year would have been the third year that I have done the Coniston to Barrow walk to raise funds for St Mary's Hospice and the second time doing it in my wheelchair. However with the event being cancelled, one of my friends, Dr. David Head, who was part of the team to push me in my wheelchair came up with the idea of towing me the length of Windermere from Ambleside to Newby Bridge in a kayak.

"MND has stopped me from doing so much and will continue to do so, but it won't stop me from enjoying everything that I have, my friends, my family and my drive to raise awareness and funding for the organisations that continue to care for others like me."

To donate, visit: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/THAT-KAYAK-TOW