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Just over 25 years ago, I had the pleasure of running the London Marathon for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children in Hackney. I have to say that it was a wonderful experience until the 22 mile marker where I hit the infamous ‘wall’. The next 4 miles were a curious mix of disorientation and an overwhelming sensation of stepping through treacle. Still, I finished it and, despite feeling totally wrecked and drained of energy, I dusted myself off and returned to rugby training the following week in preparation for a big league game which ultimately resulted in my beloved club, the Old Actonians, being promoted to
the dizzy heights of Middlesex 1. Even though I completed the game, similar feelings of exhaustion and ‘hitting the wall’ were in evidence.

Fast forward to late 1998 and a wet morning on a London building site, I find myself stumbling all over the broken ground and then having to chair the construction meeting looking and feeling like I had just drunk 10 pints! Things were clearly not right, so I hauled myself off to the Royal Surrey where, after two weeks as an inmate, I was eventually given the hammer blow diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. The next few years were an odd mix of joy, as our family (of four beautiful girls)
continued to grow, interspersed with despair as lengthy periods of MS relapses and hospital stays kept me away from my surveying practice and on the sidelines in terms of gym work and my new passion of static rowing.

Throughout this phase of my illness it became all too apparent that the NHS was woefully short of resources in terms of regular neuro-physiotherapy, specialist equipment and access to an MS nurse in our region. It was during this time that a hospital visit from a very good friend at the rugby club led to talk of me launching a fundraising campaign to build a bespoke MS treatment centre in Guildford, near to our home. Seemingly, a doddle for a property professional used to bricks and mortar – it was just the £1.2million needed to construct it! Anyway, undeterred, the Samson Centre project was born in 2002.

Health wise, it is probably fair to say that the intervening 14 years have been rather challenging as so many parts of my life and body have now ‘hit the wall’. However, I have been sustained by a truly wonderful wife, our lovely girls, extended family, my ever supportive rugby mates and so many kind friends, charity trustees and our local community who have wholeheartedly bought into the concept of the Samson Centre. The doors to the new MS Therapy & Resource Centre opened in 2005 and 11 years on, the Samson Centre for MS now employs 13 staff, treating upwards of 150 people each week.

Whilst, these days my drive and organisational skills are much diminished, the Centre continues to flourish and, subject to a successful fundraising campaign to the tune of £900k, in late 2017 we hope to construct, what will be, our final phase of the charity’s development, comprising a new oxygen therapy suite, additional treatment rooms,
conferencing and office space. 

Despite ‘hitting the wall’ in seismic proportions of late, the donation of a brand new Functional Electrical Stimulation bike (yes, that’s me wired up to the hilt in the photo) has given me the motivation to re-enact that life changing experience of April 1991.  And so, on Sun 15^th May 2016, thanks to the assistance of the RT300 Cyclone Mobility bike, I will
attempt to cycle the marathon distance of 26.2 miles.  For those of you who have shared our Samson journey from its inception, Marion and I would like to thank you so much for your incredible support.  We feel so very proud of what has been achieved at the Centre and there can be absolutely no doubt that your generosity has changed and will continue to change so many lives for the better.

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