FIONA Bruce MP joined a Middlewich resident in launching a new Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) charity campaign at the Houses of Parliament earlier this month.

Stephen Dent, who also gives his time to the Mid Cheshire Rail Link campaign group and Middlewich Clean Team, was invited to London in recognition of his voluntary work with the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society (NASS).

Stephen was representing NASS Crewe, which meets at Leighton Hospital for physiotherapy and exercise sessions, at the launch of ‘AS it is: patient voice and patient choice’ and Fiona took the chance to congratulate her constituent on his hard work.

Earlier this year, Stephen, along with Jeremy Hilliard, raised £1,500 by driving more than 1,600 miles from Middlewich to Land’s End, then to John O’Groats and back to Middlewich.

Debbie Cook, NASS chief executive, said: “NASS has 95 branches around the UK bringing affordable, regular, fully supervised physiotherapy to people with AS.

“However, without our volunteers this network wouldn’t exist and so when someone like Stephen who already does so much goes that extra mile, it is great that we can thank them formally like this.”

AS is a painful, progressive, life-long form of inflammatory arthritis, which mainly affects the spine. Around 200,000 people in the UK have AS, and there is currently no cure.

The new parliamentary campaign hopes to raise awareness of the condition, and ask MPs to pledge to reduce the current eight-and-a-half year delay in diagnosis by working with their local NHS trust.