The John Bradburne Memorial Society (JBMS) is marking World Leprosy Day (Sunday January 28) by asking for donations to help them fight this cruel disease.
JBMS continues the work of Servant of God John Bradburne, a Franciscan layman who cared for leprosy patients living at the Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre in Zimbabwe.
Today, the charity continues John’s legacy, including providing essential items to the Mutemwa community, where he lived for the last 10 years of his life until he was murdered on September 5 1979.
His work included caring for the destitute, the blind and those living with leprosy who had nowhere else to go. They were marginalised and had been neglected terribly and abandoned by their own families. 
John, who was born in Cumbria, is now on the path to sainthood and throughout the year thousands of pilgrims visit Mutemwa, which has become a shrine and place of prayer and intercessions. 
“There is much ongoing work still to be done at Mutemwa to not only take care of the residents and staff, but to also build and update the necessary sanitation blocks, the vegetable gardens need tending and maintaining the chicken and piggery projects continue to need funding,” said the charity’s secretary Kate Macpherson. 
“Water and solar electricity projects need continued monitoring. Then there is food to be bought and medicines for the clinic at Mutemwa, which serves the community living there as well as the surrounding villages.” 
Thirty-two patients currently live at the Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre, along with their families and the staff.
Kate added: “Leprosy is a curable disease, but unfortunately the stigma and lack of education associated with the disease, means that some people do not get treated early enough to prevent the development of disease and disabilities. We hope and pray that this will change.
“Together with your kind support and prayers we will do our best to continue our promise to uphold John Bradburne’s legacy in supporting those living at the Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre. 
“Please help us in these difficult and challenging financial times, especially on World Leprosy Day. Every donation will make a difference, large or small, please give what you can.”
You can send donations to JBMS, PO Box 32, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 0YB, donate online at  johnbradburne.com or by phone by calling 07979 187498.