On Tuesday 21^st of July Gordon, Olga and myself were privileged to be invited to the "ground breaking" ceremony to mark the start of work on the new building for the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neurosciences. The project is the result of a partnership between the University of Sheffield and the hard work and fundraising of a group of patrons called The Sheffield Institute Foundation. Irene Beard the secretary of the Institute and herself an MND victim said that seeing the machines on site and knowing that it was all finally happening was absolutely fantastic.

Our own Professor Pam Shaw who will head the Institute said that for her it was a dream come true, "I have always wanted to do something substantial looking into the causes of MND and to bring about therapies for the deserving patients. I think this Institute will do good in the world for the condition, and for other conditions like it. Today is a wonderful and exciting day."

The building should be finished and ready to start equipping next summer with the team of world class scientists moving in some time later.

Fundraising continues for more information log onto www.sifoundation.com

                                                                                                               Michael