Opus Energy’s sixth annual clay pigeon shooting event has raised over £52,000 for motor neurone disease research.

Nearly 100 patrons of the charity, along with employees from Opus Energy, took part in the team-based shooting challenge, which was held on Friday 26th September at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School in Pangbourne. A lunch and charity auction also took place on the day, with auction lots including VIP tickets to the Cornbury Festival, racehorse shares and diamond earrings.

The Heaton-Ellis Trust was set up in 2009 by the Heaton-Ellis family in the hopes of finding a cure for the disease that has taken such a dramatic toll on them and so many other families.

All the money raised is directed towards research into MND, specifically that of Professor Chris Shaw of King’s College London. 2014 has been a particularly exciting year for Professor Shaw and his research team, with his Next Generation Gene Hunting project bearing fruit and the identification of several new disease-causing genes. Professor Shaw was on hand at the event to share the latest results of his work and even made time to take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge.

Charlie Crossley Cooke, Chief Executive of Opus Energy, said: “This year’s shoot was well-attended and enjoyed by all. There have been some important developments in Professor Shaw’s MND research this year and it’s brilliant that the Heaton-Ellis Trust continues to be so well supported, enabling this vital research to continue.”