A TENNIS lover has served up an ace fundraiser in memory of his brother.

Stuart Falconer played 40 tennis matches over four days at 40 clubs between East Lothian and Orkney.

Before setting off on the challenge, he had already smashed his fundraising target of £1,500 for MND Scotland before declaring ‘game, set and match’ on Sunday.

Stuart’s brother Richard died of motor neurone disease (MND) in March, becoming the second member of the family to have their life cut short by the condition, with Stuart also losing cousin Brian in 2017.

Stuart, of Pencaitland, served up at Haddington – where he is a member – Gullane, Longniddry and Musselburgh before heading north on the 400-mile trip.

He said: “Tennis has always been a favourite pastime of mine since I started playing at age 10, so when I was thinking of how I might be able to raise some money for MND Scotland, it made sense to try and factor it in.

“Although Richard wasn’t really a tennis fan, in recent years he had started to enjoy a social game of ‘Touch Tennis’ with friends at his local sports centre.”

The contests were played over three sets under the Fast4 format, where the winner is the first to four games in each set.

The final match took place in Orkney, where Richard had called home since 1995, with more than £6,000 raised.

Stuart spoke to the Courier on Monday afternoon and praised the various clubs for their hospitality.

He said: “I’m delighted with the amount raised.

“I’m not sure if I am surprised because I know that all the people in tennis clubs have been very generous, warm and hospitable.

“I knew I stood a good chance of receiving some nice contributions on my way.

“I had a nice total before I set off and was always hopeful I would get some nice donations on the way north but I am thrilled I have surpassed the target as well as I have.”

MND is a rapidly progressing terminal illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles.

Richard first experienced symptoms when he began to feel breathless and, soon after, began to also feel a loss of strength in his hands.

In August 2020, Richard received his MND diagnosis, having retired aged 64.

As the disease progressed, Richard’s strength continued to deteriorate, with his regular walks with his dog and cycles becoming shorter, before stopping completely.

Stuart, a technical and regulatory affairs manager, said: “Richard had only just retired and he was supposed to be starting a new chapter in his life, spending his time doing the things he enjoyed.

“Although he didn’t lose his ability to communicate until near the very end, he was a very practical person who loved being outdoors and to see MND strip him of his independence was very difficult.

“I must admit that before Brian was diagnosed with MND in 2017, I knew very little about the disease and, although they shared the same diagnosis, my cousin Brian and Richard’s experiences were both very different.

“We are a very close family and to have two people diagnosed with MND has been devastating.

“Richard didn’t have children of his own, but he was a favourite uncle to all his nieces and nephews, who all loved to visit him at his home in Orkney.”

Ahead of setting off, Rachel Maitland, MND Scotland’s CEO, wished Stuart well, saying she was “inspired” by fundraisers like him.

To support Stuart, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/fast4forty