A WEE County woman helped raise more than £1000 for the MS Therapy Centre in Stirling, after putting a team together for Colour Me Rad.

Michelle Hunter, from Alloa, was prompted to set her sights on the popular 5k event following a conversation with her friend, Lorna Malcolm.

Then, once she started to spread the word about her challenge, the keen fundraiser – who cycled 50 miles for Breast Cancer Care last year – formed the Shell's Angels group.

She said: "My good friend Lorna was telling me that the MS Therapy Centre in Stirling, which was set up for her mum, was the risk of closing as no funds were available for her.

"So I decided, along with my son Aidan Hunter, to run/walk/dance/fly the Colour Me Rad 5k. You basically get covered in paint to raise money for the centre – it's not my usual forte, I like to cycle.

"When I set up my donate page and shared it on Facebook I found that some of my friends wanted to do it as well, including Lorna Malcolm, my friend Lisa Dunlop and her daughter Carrie, who was the youngest member aged 7, along with a school friend Scott Calder and Marion Scott."

It was personal experience which led to the MS Therapy Centre being opened nearly 30 years ago, originally in Bridge of Allan.

Lorna's mum Nancy Malcolm, who passed away in 2011, suffered from multiple sclerosis (MS) and used to travel to Dundee to access the hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Feeling it was too much of a journey for sufferers, and counterproductive to her treatment, she and husband Derek decided to set one up closer to home.

Now based in Barrowmeadows Road, Springkerse Industrial Estate – with Alloa's Lorna as one of the directors – it relies on funding and the 5k run added £1373.45 to the pot.

Lorna said: "The Colour Me Rad event was a fantastic day, running alongside our angels and thousands of other runners, the atmosphere was electric, everyone seemed to be on a high even when getting covered head to toe in paint.

"I can't wait to get the angels back together and maybe recruit a few more to do it again next year.

"The money we raised at this event will go towards helping with the costs of providing hyperbaric oxygen treatment to people with MS and various other conditions in the Forth Valley area. 

"Like most other charities we rely solely on donations and fundraising events to keep our centre open. 

"We are always looking for people to help out any way they can, we urgently need people who have a few hours a week to spare who would be interested in training as operators to administer treatments at the centre.

"If anyone is interested i can be contacted at the centre on 01786 445563 or on email mscentrestirling@hotmail.com"

The runners were kindly given a free bus by Norrie Hunter and Aidan's friend, Ben King, decided to join the group for the feat and raise funds for Reverse MECP2.

Michelle, manager at Dunbar the Jeweller in Alloa, said: "Colour Me Rad was awesome. My son, Aidan, and I have never had so much fun raising money for charity and especially when it's for my friend Lorna. 

"I am amazed at the total raised. The generosity from people has been fantastic and I would like to thank my girls at work, Sarah Joanna Parsons and Jenna Houston, who hounded every customer for a donation.

"Special thanks to my husband Andy Hunter who puts up with my mad keep fit stuff – I couldn't do it without his support."