How a local table tennis friendship grew into a powerful mission to support Parkinson’s

A determined man from Newry is preparing to take part in the Walk for Parkinson’s Northern Ireland with his close friend to tackle a national healthcare shortage.

Thomas McGrath and his friend Frank Smyth will hit the road together for the Titanic Belfast charity event on Sunday 14 June.

The pair are encouraging others in the local community to join them in supporting the Parkinson’s UK Nurse Appeal, which aims to raise £9 million to fund dedicated nurses and specialists.

These specialists act as a vital lifeline for the 166,000 people in Britain living with the condition, but currently more than 28,000 people do not have access to them.

About one in five people with the condition lack this expert care due to a national shortage of specialists and a lack of understanding among healthcare professionals.

Thomas and Frank both live with Parkinson’s and formed a strong bond after meeting through their local Parkinson’s support group in the UK.

Thomas said: “I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018, aged 56. I went along to the Newry Group of Parkinson’s UK, and I was worried at first. I thought it would be full of older people, and I wouldn’t fit in.

“But I met Frank there, and we hit it off straight away. Now we play table tennis every week at the Bat ‘N’ Chat, organized by Parkinson’s UK, and we love the exercise and the madness.

“We both took part in Walk for Parkinson in 2025, and we will definitely be walking again this year. It’s a great day and even though the weather didn’t cooperate last year, we still had a great day.

“It’s nice to meet other people who are in the same boat as you. Exercise is so important and I try to walk as often as possible.”

Parkinson’s is a complex brain disorder that worsens over time. It affects around 4,400 people in Northern Ireland and causes more than 40 different symptoms.

The upcoming fundraising event includes two flat, family-friendly routes around Belfast, including an accessible 1.5-mile walk and a longer 5.2-mile walk.

It costs £12 for adults to sign up, while under-18s can enter for free, with a suggested sponsorship target of £100 per person.

All participants will receive a fundraising pack and an exclusive event T-shirt, and the charity is also looking for helpful volunteers to help on the day.

Emma McNeill and Nicola McClure, from Parkinson’s UK, said: “It’s inspiring to see people like Thomas and Frank signing up to support Walk for Parkinson’s and raising money for the Parkinson’s Nurse Appeal.

“The money raised aims to raise £9 million over three years to increase the number of Parkinson’s specialists. This will give thousands of people with Parkinson’s access to the specialist care they need.

“We hope that as many people as possible will take part in the walk, which promises to be great fun. We would also like to hear from anyone who is interested in volunteering to support the smooth running of the event.”

Official registration for the walk is open until Sunday, June 7.

Anyone interested in walking or volunteering can find out more by visiting parkinsons.org.uk/get-involved/walk-parkinsons or by emailing [email protected].

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Location: Newry, Northern Ireland

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