Generous film fans who went to see the latest Stephen Hawking film donated £400 to a charity which supports those living with Motor Neurone disease.

Volunteers from the East Surrey branch of the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association were in Epsom’s Odeon cinema, in Upper High Street, last Friday, making bucket collections.

The Theory Of Everything, starring British actor Eddie Redmayne as the world-famous astrophysicist who has MND, is being screened at the cinema and visitors were happy to support the association’s work.

The film is a biographical romantic drama about the relationship between Professor Hawking, a patron of the MND Association, and his wife Jane.

VIP guests on the night of its London premiere last month included people living with and affected by MND, some of whom had helped the lead actors Redmayne and Felicity Jones research their roles.

MND Association branches and groups joined forces with their local cinemas to organise 75 bucket collections across the country to celebrate the general release of the film, which came out on New Years’ Day.

Chris Wade, of the MND Association, said: "Professor Hawking is one of our patrons and was involved when the association was founded 36 years ago.

"His achievements while living with MND are remarkable but for many people the reality of MND is a very rapidly progressing condition that devastates families as loved ones fade away.

"MND kills five people every day in the UK - 30 per cent within a year and more than 50 per cent within two years of diagnosis."

MND is a progressive disease that attacks the motor neurones, nerves, in the brain and spinal cord resulting in messages gradually not reaching muscles, leadin to weakness and wasting.

The disease can affect how an individual can walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. 

For more information about the MND Association visit www.mndassociation.org.