Married Funeral Directors walk 100 miles to raise funds for autism charity

A husband and wife team from a Southport Funeral Directors have just completed a 100 mile walk in aid of the National Autistic Society.

Michael and Michelle Rushton, of M Rushton Funeral Directors in Marshside Road, were inspired by their autistic children to take on the challenge and raise both awareness and funds for the charity.

Bad weather, sore feet and their own family challenges did little to deter Business Principals Michael and Michelle from completing the distance with their efforts raising �322 so far.

The '100 Miles' challenge encourages participants to walk, run, cycle or take part in any physical activity covering 100 miles while supporting charitable causes. The couple have now completed their challenge and surpassed the target with over 300 miles walked between them.

Michelle said:- "The challenge had its highs and lows, the most difficult being challenges with our children, illness and family members being seriously unwell. The best has been walking part of the challenge with our children, helping others and spending time together. We walked in nice weather, rain and hurricanes! We worked so hard around tight schedules and late nights to find the extra time to complete the challenge. We walked when we had illness and sore feet, as we never lost sight of our reason for doing this... to help other people, with our children as our motivation and inspiration. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated or passed on kind words of encouragement; it has meant so much to us both and we are extremely grateful."

All donations from the couple's challenge will go to the National Autistic Society, which supports 700,000 autistic people in the UK and their families. The charity's work includes running specialist schools, providing employer training, and campaigning for improved rights.

If you would like to make a donation to Michael and Michelle's fundraiser, visit:- JustGiving.Com.

Conservatives Will Always Support Our Local Farmers

CONSERVATIVE MPs voted against the Family Farm Tax that Labour are imposing on farming communities as part of their campaign to scrap the tax.

Despite Labour previously promising to protect farmers, under Government proposals, more than 75 per cent of farms across the country will be hit by new Inheritance Tax laws.

They will be devastating for family farms and pose a serious risk to domestic food security and food prices. Labour and Keir Starmer do not have a plan to get a grip on the public finances, and are now punishing farmers because of their failures.

Conservatives across the United Kingdom will continue to campaign to get Labour to scrap the Family Farm and Business tax that will damage British Farming and Family Businesses.

Spokesperson for Southport Conservatives, Mike Prendergast, says Labour's political choice to target farmers is a cruel blow to the industry and that Labour must do the right thing and not implement the Family Farm Tax.

Commenting, Shadow Secretary of State Victoria Atkins said:- "The Family Farm and Business Tax has been imposed by a Labour Government that has no understanding of rural life or the importance of family farms. We voted to scrap this tax and will continue to campaign to stop it. Labour have voted to push British Farming into a food and farming emergency with their Family Farm and Business Tax and their other farming failures. They should be ashamed they did not join us to stop vote against the Family Farm and Business Tax. Conservatives are on the side of rural communities and will axe Labour's Family Farm and Business Tax at the first opportunity. The farmers who work long hours to serve us food every day deserve better. The Conservatives will scrap this cruel tax when we are re-elected to Government."

Commenting, Mike Prendergast, said:- "Across our rural villages in Banks, Mere Brow, Hesketh Bank, Tarleton and Rufford farmers will be worried about their future. It's Conservatives in our Southport and the Northern Parishes who are standing up for local farmers, unlike our current Labour MP who voted against scrapping the tax. Labour must u-turn so the hundreds of farmers across our area and around the country can continue to produce the food we eat three times a day. In the Northern Parishes we have some of the best grade one agricultural land in the country, with world class producers who employ many local people. I'm sure people here and across the country will never forgive Labour if they destroy the farming industry as this tax will ultimately do."

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Married Funeral Directors walk 100 miles to raise funds for autism charity

Conservatives Will Always Support Our Local Farmers