He did his mum proud

I had the pleasure and privilege of working with Dave for many years. He was a kind, caring and funny man who was committed to supporting people affected by MS. His loss will be felt deeply by his friends at the MS Society and the wider MS community.

I was so excited when Dave contacted me back in 2008 to say he wanted to support our work. Dave had been a young carer for his mum Margaret, who lived with progressive MS.

Dave told me he had fond memories of the support his family received from their local MS Society group in Barrow-in-Furness, where he grew up. Some of his favourite childhood memories were of the summer campsite holidays his family were taken on by the group. Dave’s mum would be cared for by the volunteers, so Dave could have fun with other children whose parents lived with MS.  

Dave said his mum was a fabulous cook. He'd learned to cook to help her when she was no longer able to cook for their family.

Baking a difference

We decided it would be perfect for Dave and his fellow Hairy Biker Si to help raise awareness of our baking fundraiser, Cake Break. I remember Dave and Si bounding into our London office for a promotional photoshoot, full of the fun and energy they were so well-known for on TV. They were lovely to everyone and very complimentary about the cakes colleagues had baked as props.

As well as featuring in our fundraising packs, they gave us recipes for our website and prizes for top fundraisers and spoke about the MS Society and Cake Break in media interviews. Thanks in great part to their support, there was a big increase in the funds Cake Break raised that year. Dave and Si went on to support Cake Break for many years after that, helping raise hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Supporting Stop MS

When Dave’s mum was diagnosed with MS in the 1960s there were no effective treatments available. She had been prescribed strong painkillers and little else. He was passionate about MS research and was excited when we launched our Stop MS Appeal to find new treatments for progressive MS. Dave gave a wonderful reading at our Carols by Candlelight concert in 2018 to help raise funds for the appeal. And in 2020, when the pandemic meant it wasn’t possible for people to attend a carol concert in person, I asked Dave if he would host a virtual concert for people to watch online. He leaped at the chance, dressing as a Christmas elf for promotional photos, and hosting the event with his natural warmth and humour.

A couple of years back Dave accepted our invitation to become an MS Society Ambassador, in recognition of his dedication and support. But sadly he became ill soon afterwards and we didn’t get to make the announcement. Despite everything, Dave was keen to continue to support us. Last summer he shared a gorgeous photo with his dog Teddy to help raise awareness of our dog-walking challenge My MS Woof. And in November he filmed a video announcing one of the winners of our Volunteer Impact Awards.

Over 15 years Dave made a huge difference for people affected by MS. He did his mum proud. And we will miss him hugely.