New gin to help raise funds for Doddie Weir’s MND charity

English spirits ­producer 45 West Distillers, which produces Burleighs Gin, is working with ­Scottish rugby ­legend Doddie Weir’s charity to ­create a new gin – with all of the profits going directly to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

It helps fund vital research into the causes and potential cures of motor neurone disease.

The recipe was developed by Burleighs Gin head distiller Ed Gibson and Doddie at the ­distillery in Leicestershire. The pair combined the Burleighs Signature recipe with specially selected botanicals that pay homage to Doddie’s roots in the Scottish Borders. The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was set up in November 2017 by Doddie and his fellow trustees, five months after he revealed that he was suffering from motor neurone disease himself. Doddie earned 61 caps for ­Scotland during a successful ­playing career and represented The British & Irish Lions on their ­victorious 1997 tour to South Africa.

Doddie has been driven to help ­fellow sufferers and seek ways to further research into this, as yet, incurable disease since his first diagnosis.

In its first year, the foundation committed to raise £1 million to help find a cure and to support those affected by MND, and they are confident of investing a similar figure in 2019.