THE Neuromuscular Centre in Winsford is among 17 charities in Cheshire to receive a donation of £1,000 from the Movement for Good awards.

The centre on Woodford Lane provides a range of unique specialist services for people with muscular dystrophy, a progressive and debilitating muscle wasting condition with no known cure.

Staff at NMC said they were delighted to receive a gift of £1,000 and the money will support people with neuromuscular conditions and their families across the county.

Their services include physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, support and advice, and training in graphic design and IT which often leads to employment opportunities within their social enterprise NMC Design+Print.

Dan Cundall, head of Design+Print, designed the new What's On Winsford 2019 guide. The centre gives people with muscular dystrophy the chance to learn new skills.

This inspirational centre, the only one of its kind in the UK and Europe costs £1.2 million to run every year.

The awards, set up by insurer Ecclesiastical, will see a total of £1 million given to charities across the UK this summer.

Members of the public were invited to nominate causes close to their hearts.

Some 98,000 people voted for 7,000 causes. The 500 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated.

Mark Hews, group chief executive officer of Ecclesiastical, said: “It’s clear that people care deeply about good causes. Healthcare and disability organisations seemed to hold a particularly fond place in the hearts of residents."

“Our core purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society. We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do and we’re looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better.”

Later this summer, a further 10 charities will also be chosen by a panel of judges to receive £50,000 from Ecclesiastical to be put towards the advancement of education, skills, arts, culture and heritage, as well as citizenship or community development.

From Monday 17 June, charities can apply for the grant with applications being assessed in four key areas, impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.

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The successful charities will be announced in September.

Owned by a charity, Ecclesiastical is the only financial services group that exists to give all its profits to charity. It has given £100 million to charity over the past five years.