Rob Burrow backs £5m charity appeal to build Leeds Motor Neurone Disease centre

  •  Katy Rickitt has been speaking to Rob's dad Geoff from his home in Castleford and began by asking him what difference the new centre would make. 

Former Leeds Rhinos player, Rob Burrow, has backed a £5m charity appeal to build a Motor Neurone Disease centre in Leeds.

The former rugby player was diagnosed with the disease in 2019 at the age of thirty seven. Since then, he has actively campaigned to help raise awareness and raise funds in support of MND charities.

He said he hopes the planned centre will be a 'calming and tranquil sanctuary.'

“I envisage a beautiful, welcoming building that is user and family friendly. A place where patients feel comfortable to bring family members into a safe and homely environment for them, with signs of hope and optimism.''

''For carers of those with MND it is important to know that their loved ones are in the best possible place. Something every MND sufferer and their families deserve.''

Rob Burrow is a former player for the Leeds Rhinos.

There are currently around 80 people like Rob being treated for MND in Leeds, double the number of people the service supported 10 years ago.

The money will go towards the creation of a bespoke centre, where patients will have access to a range of holistic support tailored to their needs, from speech and language therapy, to diet and nutrition advice, and physiotherapy.

Esther Wakeman, Chief Executive of Leeds Hospitals Charity hopes the new centre will spark a change to MND care across the nation:

“We recognised the need for a dedicated centre in Leeds, which we know will make a huge difference to many affected by this cruel disease. I can envisage our centre becoming a flagship in the UK and I hope that this will inspire others to replicate this up and down the country, offering thousands of MND sufferers the best quality of life and help us get closer to finding a cure one day.”