Michael Palin makes radio appeal for Motivation a wheelchair charity near Nailsea

Tune into BBC Radio 4 on Sunday, October 16, to hear Monty Python star Michael Palin talk about the work of Motivation a charity based near Nailsea.

The much-loved writer, presenter and actor will be sharing with millions of listeners the inspirational work done by Motivation for people with mobility disabilities living in the poorest communities worldwide.

The broadcast will also be repeated on Thursday, October 21.

In 2008 a similar radio appeal by Palin raised £40,000, which enabled Motivation to set up projects in Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Sudan, Pakistan and Uganda.

This time Palin will tell the story of Iris, a young girl in Uganda who, aged 12, fell from a mango tree and broke her neck. 

She spent months in hospital battling life-threatening pressure sores and when she eventually returned to her family, she was confined to her house. 

But thanks to a wheelchair and training from Motivation, Iris is now a bright, happy teenage girl going to school and making plans for the future.

These are difficult financial times for small charities, so Motivation has high hopes for the Radio 4 Appeal and urges supporters to tune in. Broadcast times are 7.55am and 9.26pm on Sunday, October 16, and 3.27pm on Thursday, October 21.

Since the charity was established in 1991, Motivation's wheelchairs and programmes have reached more than 110,000 people in 83 countries around the world.

Charity founder David Constantine said: "Motivation's high-quality, low-cost wheelchairs and innovative training programmes give people with mobility disabilities independence, confidence and skills to make a living."