The Merlin Centre
Each time we’ve run a charity event on Bruuuce.com, we’ve included the Merlin Centre. On the one occasion we picked another cause, enough people asked us to support the Centre specifically that we reintroduced them into our plans.
That means an incredible amount to the founders of this charity for Multiple Sclerosis care. It’s based in a small village in my home county of Cornwall in the UK, and is the only one of its kind for hundreds in miles, right in the middle of the area with the highest incidence of multiple sclerosis in the country.
The founders, Derek and Eileen Murphy, started this venture on their own in 2001. They’ve taken a very personal interest in your donations in the past, and are very humbled that people from around the world would want to donate to their project.
Sadly, in recent years, the Merlin Centre has faced no little adversity. The UK government withdrew their promised funding, leaving the centre to find £300,000 a year to stay in operation. At times,closure has even seemed likely. But the sheer determination of Dr Murphy and Eileen, coupled with an outstanding community spirit, has given hope. The generosity of people like yourselves is a great comfort and support, and it genuinely means a great deal to them that people an ocean away sincerely want to help.
Dr Murphy told us:
Dr Derek Murphy and Eileen Murphy
“You will always have a stake in the building and I hope that you will be proud of it – we want it to be a landmark for Cornwall and a real source of pride for the county and the area. It is certainly going to be a major asset and it is so badly needed… thank you, from us all, for helping Merlin to make a great change for everyone living with MS in Cornwall – a really big thing to do and one for which there are so many grateful people”.
Recent years have been especially difficult. Dr Murphy suffered a stroke in April 2011, and a month later, whilst helping with his recuperation, his wife Eileen passed away.
The Merlin Centre is in existence thanks to the tireless work of the Murphys, and they are the inspiration behind fundraising efforts on this site. With support such as yours – and you’ve already provided it in the most wonderful way – we hope their legacy will continue for decades to come.
Thank you all, very much, for the donations so far. I hope you understand why Merlin were chosen as a principal charity, and why I’m asking for your donations.
Thank you!
– Si Twining.