Our objectives
Operating since March 2003, the Muscle Help Foundation (MHF) is the UK's leading experiential Muscular Dystrophy (MD) charity, rooted in family values, delivering highly personalised, transformational experiences (also referred to as interventions or moments-in-time) in the UK called 'Muscle Dreams' for children, young people & adults, uniquely between the ages 8 to 35yrs, living with MD.
MD brings profound physical disability coupled with a limit on life which creates a huge challenge. MHF works tirelessly to ensure through meticulous planning that despite everyday life feeling at times utterly impossible, their experience will provide that “anything is possible” attitude that society, education and social barriers often knock out of them.
Muscle Dreams have included learning outdoor survival skills with Ray Mears, hanging out with British F1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton and interviewing global movie icon Al Pacino to a bespoke photography masterclass at the National Portrait Gallery, plus virtual wellbeing interventions that support mental health and emotional resilience.
With an amazing team of selfless & dedicated MHF Volunteers, the charity's founder & CEO M McGrath MBE has over the last 23 years personally hosted each experience, inspiring vulnerable beneficiaries to find their inner purpose & explore their own potential.
The driving force behind what is a multi award-winning charity, MHF's CEO is also the first disabled person in the world to have successfully led expeditions to both the North & South Poles; he himself has MD. Underpinned by his life credo 'Quant Je Puis', literally translated meaning 'As Much As I Can', today he lives his life in an electric wheelchair.
Our activities
MHF brings together children, young people, adults & their families, creating communities through transformational events, networks & bespoke programmes. Via Muscle Dreams, MHF aims to help fulfil potential, giving recipients a sense of purpose.
MHF's impact is felt by beneficiaries & their families across the UK. From improved confidence, greater self-esteem & an increased sense of hopefulness to a powerful shared identity that connects families, giving a platform to share knowledge, memories & establish lasting friendships.
Thanks to a robust piece of in-depth research over a 12-month period by a team of clinical psychologists at the University of Hertfordshire that analysed six years of both quantitative and qualitative, MHF has taken impact measurement further than any other wish-fulfilment charity. As a result, MHF's impact has been academically validated, something the charity is extremely proud of and an important lever in being able to demonstrate both impact but also credibility.
MHF's current mission is to deliver 657 Muscle Dreams for children, young people & adults living with MD across the UK - that’s one life-changing experience for every muscle in the human body.
For beneficiaries, every moment is an opportunity to realise their potential. For their family and friends, each one opens up a support network of like-minded individuals. That’s the power of our promise. That’s the #powerof657.
Please do find out more about MHF's work, its impact and the difference your support, time, skills & energy could make in helping us change lives & give hope.
