THE kind-hearted gesture of a bereaved Redditch family is providing valuable support for residents living with Multiple Sclerosis in the borough.

The family of Mr William "Bill" Eades, who died in January, has donated the funds raised from his funeral to the council’s MS Exercise Class in honour of him being a founding member and attending every week.

The classes started over 10 years ago, when the council partnered with local medical professionals to provide targeted exercise sessions for people living with the condition.

The workouts are designed for different levels of mobility and provide a set circuit so that participants never have to do anything that they are uncomfortable with.

An unexpected outcome of the class is the friendships and bonds made by both the participants and their carers to form a fantastic, unofficial support group.

During the pandemic, the classes have continued to run via Zoom at a cost of £2.50 per participant and the money raised in Mr Eades' honour will be used to run these virtual sessions for free, for as long as the funds last. £400 was raised at Mr Eades' funeral by his family and friends which will mean approximately twenty free sessions for every member of the group.

Hayley Gwilliam, Physical Activity Development Officer for Redditch Borough Council, said: “Bill was a wonderful member of our MS class and he will be sadly missed by everyone. On behalf of everyone in the group, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Bill’s wife Wendy and his generous family. This donation will really make a big difference.

Portfolio Holder for Leisure services, Cllr Mike Rouse, said: “On behalf of the leisure team at Redditch Borough Council I want to pay tribute to Mr William Eades and his family, to whom we send our continued condolences but also our sincere thanks for their generosity and thoughtfulness towards others.”

“This gesture is a shining light in a dark world that I hope inspires kindness in the hearts of our residents and will provide many people with the comfort of knowing they are not alone with their condition and that excellent support is available.”

Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological condition that affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. More than 100,000 people in the UK have MS with symptoms usually starting in a person’s 20’s or 30’s.