Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Message from The Honorary Patron of the Sheffield Institute Foundation, The Duke & Duchess of Devonshire


Dear Don and all your intrepid crew,

This comes with very best wishes from Stoker and Amanda Devonshire in England. We have been following your progress so far on your web site and we are confident that you will have an epic and extremely successful journey. The support that you are giving to the Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease is hugely appreciated and we both look forward to seeing you on your return to congratulate you personally.


The Duke of Devonshire KCVO, CBE, DL






6 comments:

Another Paton of SIF said...

Dear Don

I am Chair of Trustees of SIF MND and wanted to drop you a line as you make your final preparations. What you are going for our charity is extraordinary. I hope that all of the logistical issues have been resolved and that you and the crew are in the best of health and resolve. More particularly I hope the weather and seas are as kind to you as they can be.

As you will know the new SITraN building is out of the ground and all being well Professor Shaw and her team will be able to take occupation in the Autumn. We are especially grateful for your support, determination and courage to take on this feat.

The very best of luck- I shall be following your progress daily

Thank you

Kind regards
Stephen Sly

Lis Hamilton said...

“Hi Don and team,

You are all completely bonkers but brilliantly so and Ken and I wish you all the very best of luck for your voyage ahead. Let’s hope you do not run into any Cannibals or any other man eaters! Looking forward to seeing you back in Derbyshire after your voyage to complete the circle. Best wishes from Ken and Lis Hamilton”



Mrs Lis Hamilton

Private Secretary to

The Duke of Devonshire KCVO, CBE, DL

Another Patron of SIF said...

"Don and the Crew of the 'Bounty-boat'. After months of planning, the eve of this fantastic voyage is getting ever closer and, while the weeks ahead will present huge challenges, I have no doubts that you are fully prepared. Since being diagnosed with MND my life continues to change and one significant very positive feature is the new people I have met, there are so many impressive people out there; be it fellow sufferers of MND, highly committed and professional medical personnel and then there is you Don - a truly inspirational adventurer. It was a pleasure to meet you at Chatsworth, thank you for agreeing to the association with the SiTran Foundation, we shall be closely watching your progress and be with you in mind and spirit (you don't get so sea-sick that way!).
Best of Luck and Kind Regards
Nick and Julie Palmer"

Irene and Don, back to you both - we hope you are both well and look forward to catching up soon.
Love
Nick and Julie

Patron Stuart Keane said...

Dear Don,
It as been an unbelievable 11 month's since we first chatted about you adopting SIF as your preferred charity to focus your epic adventure on.
The Keane Family will be forever grateful for the inspiration that you gave to us all, when after meeting you for the first time at Chatsworth,
a few weeks later before you left to return home you insisted on traveling all the way from the other side of London to come and visit my son Shaun, Amanda and all the girls. What an afternoon you gave us at Shaun's house in Hull,captivating us all with your magical future dreams,which I am certain that you will bring to reality.
Although Shaun could not talk at this time, he laughed and laughed at your humor and enthusiasm for future fundraising for The Sheffield Institute, It is an afternoon that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
It was also fantastic for me to have been with you at Chatsworth and then spending 12 day's with you at the Boat Show in Southampton with the Talisker Bounty Boat that you had brought over from Australia , I learn't many things about the original Bounty Boat from you. We had some great laugh's at the show.never a dull moment!--Thanks.
My proudest moment came after you returned home and CCD me an e-mail which you refereed to me as "Your Mate" I am very privileged indeed. Thank you.
I am sure that David, Chris and Quilter will feel the same way after you all return from this journey of a life time!
All the Keane's wish you Good Luck, Fair winds, Flat Seas,a Bon Voyage, and a very speedy return to all your loved ones.
Shaun will be looking out for you, I am sure.
Don, David,Chris & Quilter you are all creating history & when you return you are all invited as my "special guests" on the Keane table at the Opening of the SITraN Buildings Grand Charity Ball in November this year."May The Gods Bless you all."
Thanks from "Your Mate" Stuart

April 28, 2010 6:31 PM

Another Patron of SIF said...

Dear Don,
As you can imagine, we are all thinking a lot about you today.
May I take the opportunity, in addition to wishing you the best of luck, to thank you for what you are doing for motor neurone diseease. There has never been a better opportunity to put this disease on the map. Always remember as the days go by on a boringly empty sea, that what you are doing gives people hope. If they are anything like Irene, they will realise from your efforts that there is now a real chance of their disease being cured - maybe not in their life but very soon..
You are a very brave and generous man. and I salute you Good luck and bon voyage
Richard

Irene Beard said...

Don, my friend, you and your mates are finally embarking on a most exciting adventure and my heart is with you mornings and evenings, imagining you all sailing through the islands. The weather might be fair or lousy but knowing you, I trust that you will keep up the spirits of everyone and you bring them all to Timor in good shape.

I am immensely grateful that in doing this trip you are raising money for research at the Sheffield Institute for Motor Neurone Disease. Living myself with MND, I know how important it is to find a cure to this dreadful condition. Too many lovely young people, fathers, wives and husbands have died before their time from MND. You will be part of the success story of finding a treatment for us and for our children. I am proud to know you. Thank you. Irene