DEESIDE'S Assembly Member will face new heights as he takes on an abseil for a good cause

Jack Sargeant AM pledged his support for the 'Parkinson's Is' campaign and has signed himself up for a sponsored abseil in Holyhead in June, along with his friend Emily Owen (Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Aberconwy).

The campaign was launched on World Parkinson's Day to show what life is like with Parkinson's and aims to show the struggles that people with the condition face.

Mr Sargeant and Ms Owen have assembled a team of over ten friends to take part in the event together.

Every hour, two people in the UK are told they have Parkinson’s, which develops when braincells stop working properly and are lost over time.

It is a serious degenerative neurological condition which can happen at any age and has a major impact on people’s lives.

The Alyn and Deeside AM said: "I watched the BBC documentary on GDNF which was both interesting and upsetting. When Emily told me about the ‘Parkinson’s Is’ campaign, I was shocked by some of the statistics.

"We decided to pull a team of people together to raise as much money as we can for the charity as well as raising awareness of the condition. And nothing says fundraising quite like an abseil."

In a survey, launched to mark World Parkinson’s Day (April 11), 88 per cent of people living with Parkinson’s in Wales said they’d had negative experiences as a result of people not understanding their symptoms including being laughed at, people assuming they are drunk or unfriendly and even being disbelieved when they’ve revealed their diagnosis.

The findings from Parkinson’s UK Cymru also highlight the huge toll that public reactions can have on those living with the condition everyday - with 62 per cent cancelling or avoiding social situations due to the negative impact of public perceptions.

Emily, who works as the North and Mid Wales Volunteer Coordinator for Parkinson’s UK added: "In my role with the charity I have had the privilege of working with some of the most amazing people from all walks of life. I see the very real affect Parkinson’s has on people’s lives – yet the determination is inspirational. “

"Parkinson’s doesn’t discriminate, it can affect anyone. It’s only by raising awareness that we can break some of the stigma, making it easier for people with Parkinson’s to continue to lead full lives."

More information about the campaign cam be found online at www.parkinsons.org.uk/parkinsons-is.

Ieuan Lloyd, a member of the abseiling team, whose late Grandfather lived with Parkinson’s, said: "I don’t think people understand the condition, so are often dismissive of people displaying symptoms. This campaign is a great way of trying to combat that and I urge people to visit the website to find out more."

Anyone wishing to sponsor Mr Sargeant can do so via his JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jacksargeantam-abseil4parkinsons.