AT a recent meeting of Ross Rotary Club, Lee Gough, a Worcester Vigornia Rotarian and chief executive of Megan Baker House (MBH), spoke passionately about the work of the charity. She said that through an educational approach known as conductive education, MBH offers life changing outcomes for children and adults with motor disorders such as cerebral palsy, dyspraxia, Parkinson's disease, stroke and acquired brain injury.

She explained that through conductive education, participants learn how to manage and deal with the difficulties and challenges caused by their condition to enable them to lead a more independent life.

Lee said that Megan Baker House was started in 2002 by Jo and Dave Baker whose daughter Megan had cerebral palsy. Jo and Dave found Conductive Education the most effective method for Megan. However it was costly to take Megan to Hungary, where Conductive Education was developed, so, with funding, they decided to open a centre in Herefordshire offering free services to all children. Sadly, within a few weeks of the centre opening, Megan died. After much soul searching, Jo and Dave decided to continue the work they began in memory of their beautiful daughter.

Today the centre is based at Moreton Eye, Leominster in a purpose-designed converted barn and has a variety of spaces enabling MBH to help a wide spectrum of needs from groups of children with dyspraxia through to individual sessions for children with more complex disabilities. Such is the demand for Conductive Education at MBH, families travel from all over the UK and even from abroad.

Lee explained that MBH is self funding and needs to find £8,000 every week just to maintain the current level of services, saying that whilst the charity has a rolling programme of applications to charitable trusts, a significant proportion of their income comes from heroic fundraising in the community.

Ross Rotary Club meets every Monday evening 6.30pm for 7pm at the Chase Hotel. Guests and potential members are very welcome. Please visit our website at rossrotary.com.