A TIMPERLEY man will complete a 3,000 mile Vespa ride across Europe to raise funds for the charity that supports his wife and son, who both have a rare neurological condition.

Kevin Rodgers’s wife, Karin, and 27-year-old son, Steven, have Charcot-Marie-Tooth - a condition that causes a weakening of the muscles in the hands and lower legs.

The painful affliction causing them to struggle with simple tasks like walking, picking things up and fastening shoe laces and buttons.

On Saturday June 6, Kevin, 50, will ride with three friends to Croatia and back to raise money for the CMT Kids charity.

Kevin said: “CMT Kids is a great cause close to my heart – my wife runs it with help from my son – and what the group does for the confidence of young people with CMT cannot be underestimated.

“It is open to youngsters from all over the UK, who pay just £50 of the £300 cost of a weekend away and the charity picks up the rest.

“During the weekend they get involved in physical activities they would normally shy away from because their difference in abilities from people without CMT can make them feel self-conscious.

"It’s also a great opportunity for them to hook up with other people with CMT and talk about the challenges they face, but most of all they have a laugh with people who just get it.”

Charcot-Marie-Tooth is an inherited condition named after the scientists who discovered it.

Currently incurable and steadily progressive, it affects around 23,000 people in the UK.

While CMT is a highly variable condition with lots of symptoms, fatigue is common to all people who have it because of the extra effort required to perform daily activities.

In addition to this, many people walk awkwardly because of problems picking up their feet and endure painful limbs, twisted ankles, balance problems and falls.

CMT UK aims increase its income to £2m over the next five years and has pledged £30,000 over the next three years for research at London’s UCL Institute of Neurology.

To make a donation to Kevin’s Just Giving page, visit justgiving.com/Croatiabyvespa

To contact CMT UK call 01202 432048 or email info@cmtuk.org.uk