A HEREFORDSHIRE charity is celebrating their 20th anniversary of making a difference to hundreds of lives.
Megan Baker House, based in Orchard Lane, Ledbury, has been helping children and adults who suffer from movement issues caused by motor disorders for 20 years.
The charity was started in 2002 by Jo and Dave Baker whose daughter Megan had cerebral palsy.
They found conductive education the most effective method for Megan and decided that a centre in Herefordshire offering free services to all children was needed.
Conductive education is a way of life, and the person can transfer the skills and techniques learnt in a session into all aspects of everyday life.
Over the years the charity has seen an array of inspiring stories from people benefiting from their care.
Alaina Banfield-Coffee, aged 29, of Ross-on-Wye, who suffers from cerebral palsy fulfilled her dream of walking down the aisle at her wedding.
After over two years of practising her walking at Megan Baker House in Ledbury she was able to make the 10-metre walk down the aisle to marry her new husband, Philip.
In 2018, the parents of three-year-old Sophie Jones praised the charity for their work to help their child walk after they thought it wasn't possible.
She has a chromosome deficiency: she is non-verbal and is unable to walk unaided.
But Megan Baker House gave the family hope for the future.
People have come up with amazing ways to raise money for the charity over the years.
In July 2021 nursey school director Oli Marshall took on a one-man ironman challenge.
He swam 2.4 miles in the river Wye, biking 180km from Ross-on-Wye to Windsor Castle and running 26.2 miles from Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace.
He raised over £9000 for Megan Baker House and Acorn's Children's Hospital.
The charity is holding a series of events throughout the year to celebrate this milestone.
Lee Gough, chief executive of Megan Baker House, said: "It seems only right that we should celebrate this milestone in our history.
"We receive no statutory funding and must raise £1,000 each day to continue operating. We are always looking for fun new ways to fundraise and put on events that everyone can enjoy and be involved in."
Details of all the charity's anniversary events can be found at www.meganbakerhouse.org.uk/news-events/
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