Host of celebrities sign up for glittering Masked Entertainer gala dinner at Edgbaston for Motor Neurone Disease charity
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The event at the home of Warwickshire CCC will take place on April 12, 2025 for the Mel Evans MBE Foundation, set up in memory of Mel Evans, a renowned Crown Green Bowls player who sadly died of MND in 2017.
The foundation was set up by Mel’s wife, Lynn Pritchatt, and this event is the second major gala dinner she has organised after a fundraiser at Headingley in Leeds last year.
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Hide AdThe special guests on the night included former England and Liverpool footballer Dominic Matteo, host of Channel 4’s The Last Leg, Adam Hills, and much-celebrated former Leeds Rhinos RFC player Rob Burrow, who died from MND earlier this year.

Lynn is promising another line-up of famous faces at the spring event, which will also welcome former England cricketer Chris Broad and former Sunderland and Bristol Rovers footballer Marcus Stewart, who is living with MND.
Birmingham-born Lynn, who now lives in Cannock, said: “Headingley was the first time I had organised a gala dinner of this magnitude. I wanted to do something novel which would capture people's imagination.
“The memories are so special. One of Rob Burrow’s team mates revealed himself from behind the mask and the look on Rob's face was priceless!
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Hide Ad“I thought about what to do next long and hard and here we are in Birmingham, the city of my birth! As with the last event, there’s a serious undertone but we want to make it fun.”

Born in 1952, Mel was a passionate cricket player in his youth and was offered a contract with Warwickshire County Cricket Club. However, he took a different path, working as an auditor for Finning (UK) for more than 40 years and developing a passion for Crown Green Bowls.
Mel played at the highest level, earning more than 100 caps for his county of Staffordshire. He also worked tirelessly to bring the sport back to terrestrial television and was awarded an MBE in the Queens New Year’s Honours in 2012 for services to Crown Green Bowling.
It was also through Crown Green Bowls where Mel met Lynn, who was a former England Ladies Number One player in her own right. The two were inseparable both on and off the green and were a formidable pairing in the sport.
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Hide AdIn 2016, Mel was diagnosed with MND when he had only just become a grandfather to baby Isabelle – news which came as a terrible shock to the family.
“As is often the case, it came from nowhere. He was strong, fit and healthy,” said Lynn.
“At first, we thought Mel had had a stroke because his arm kept dropping. We were eventually sent down the neurology path and that confirmed the diagnosis.
“Our journey from there was 15 months, and the average when dealt such a devastating diagnosis is two years.
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Hide Ad“Thankfully, it’s a very different world now to when we had our diagnosis. Back then it was very much ‘We can't tell you how long, so go and live your life and get your affairs in order’.
“It is through the bravery of the likes of Rob [Burrow] and Doddie [Weir] that awareness is increasing. Despite this, many people still don't know what MND is and the impact it has.
“There’s no effective treatment or cure – it’s a strong word, but a death sentence is issued to the individual and their family.”
Lynn said one of her main aims is to ensure people remember Mel before MND, and the many achievements which are his lasting legacy.
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Hide AdShe said: “Our life revolved around our sport, it was what brought us together. I was a former England number one and Mel had a glittering playing career – in addition to that, he was one of the best administrators our sport has ever seen.
“He played a pivotal role in getting our sport back on terrestrial TV and was really driving the sport forward.
“My aim is to keep Mel's legacy shining brightly and remember the Mel before MND. It’s also to support people who are sadly yet to be diagnosed. This condition affects one in 300, so it’s not as rare as people often think.
“It gives me such pride to talk about my soulmate and know the person he was.”
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Hide AdLynn is looking to attract more partner businesses to complement the British Crown Green Bowling Association, which has made the Foundation its nominated charity.
There are also several sponsorship packages available for the gala night at Edgbaston and Lynn is encouraging any businesses who want to get involved to get in touch via email at [email protected].
For more information on the Mel Evans MBE Foundation, visit melevansfoundation.org.uk