Formed only four years ago, Le Mead has already raised an incredible £40,000 to help blood cancer charities such as the Leukaemia Research Fund and the Geoff Thomas Foundation continue their invaluable work.  Not content with the more conventional methods of fund-raising, the team behind Le Mead has thrown themselves into all manner of mostly physical challenges in return for sponsorship donations to raise money, including activities as diverse as football and golfing tournaments, baking and selling cakes, a 300 mile cycle route, a charity talent show, cycling from London to Paris, and not just climbing but running up three of Britain’s highest mountains!

Le Mead was formed in 2007 by friends and colleagues of Steve Mead, in response to Steve’s shock diagnosis with acute adult lymphoblastic leukaemia – one of the most aggressive forms of leukaemia.  Despite beating the disease once, sadly it returned with a vengeance and Steve died in May 2009 aged just 24.

To help highlight the efforts of Le Mead group and to help them raise even more money to fight leukaemia, MK Lightning go into this weekend’s crucial EPL Play Off quarter finals wearing specially-designed shirts which include the Le Mead logo on the left shoulder of every player.

The team’s General Manager, Vito Rausa, said the club was only too happy to be able to help bring the Le Mead name to a wider audience.  “We’ve had some fantastic attendances at Lightning games this season and we’re hoping for another packed house this weekend wher the Le Mead logo can be seen by a lot of people who might not be aware of them – and hopefully people will then want to find out more about what they do, and maybe donate to a really worthwhile cause.

“For such a young and otherwise fit and healthy guy like Steve Mead to lose his life to leukaemia is just heartbreaking, and obviously it’s not an isolated case – hence the work of the charities that Le Mead want to help.  We’re really pleased to be able to help a local group by giving them some exposure – and obviously we’re aiming to qualify for the EPL finals in Coventry next weekend, where supporters of the top eight league teams will be able to see their logo.

“Everyone involved with Le Mead is absolutely passionate about what they do to raise money – and you’d have to be, to get involved in activities like cycling from London to Paris!  So we hope that by highlighting what they do, they can raise even more money to fight leukaemia, and stop other families going through what Steve’s family went through.”

For more information on Le Mead and to donate, go to www.lemead.co.uk