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Racecourse Announces Two-Season Association with Southern Spinal Injuries Trust

Friday 17 April 2015, 16:44
By Hannah Walker

Laura Collinson and her powered cycle, perfect for life outdoors

Wincanton Racecourse has revealed their new regional charity initiative that sees a two-season association with Southern Spinal Injuries Trust (SSIT).

The initiative was announced on March 22nd at an inaugural network luncheon organised by the newly formed Wincanton Charity Awareness Committee, at which highly regarded speakers in their field, Diana Barran (Co-ordinated SafeLives) and Mike Dickson (Rainmaker Foundation), provided informative advice to the 90-plus invited guests.

Jo Hepburn, Chairman of Wincanton Racecourse, explains:

From internal communications with our loyal customers and patrons, we secured over 3,000 responses with the vast majority in favour of Southern Spinal Injuries Trust (SSIT).

The association will see SSIT host a charity luncheon in our 400-seater marquee at the start of the 2015/16 season with further activities and fundraisers to be announced across the two-season period.

We warmly welcome working with SSIT and very much hope the association generates significant awareness to such a worthy charity.

Jeremy Major, Chairman of the Trustees for Southern Spinal Injuries Trust (SSIT), adds:

We are very excited about this new initiative which we hope will generate significant awareness for our cause, as well as much needed financial support.

Through future on-course activities, initiatives and partnerships, we hope to spread the word to potential sponsors and beneficiaries.

The Hodges family, supported by SSIT

The NHS has 11 spinal units across the UK. SSIT works in the region supported by the Salisbury unit, stretching across the south and south west. It receives no government support and therefore relies totally on the generosity of supporters. The charity assists people with spinal cord injuries, enabling greater independence and quality of life.

Each year, over 1,000 people in the UK are paralysed following spinal injury and SSIT strives to help those coping with the extraordinary tragedy with the chance to re-experience the fundamental things that we take for granted.

 


 

[EDITOR:] The SSIT supplied the following information, and the photos above and below, to augment the announcement from Wincanton Racecourse.

The Southern Spinal Injuries Trust was established nearly 10 years ago and helps improve the lives, health and aspirations of people with spinal cord injury (SCI). The charity does this by providing specialist equipment and other support direct to people with SCI who live in the south and south west, the extensive region served by the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre at Salisbury District Hospital.

To meet the requests for support that the charity receives, SSIT depends on charitable donations, grants and fundraising. We have a long waiting list at the moment, so we are thrilled that Wincanton Racecourse has chosen to support SSIT. We are looking forward to a Charity Race day in October, and hoping to arrange a Santa Fun Run at the course in December.

Photos by permission of SSIT: helping people with spinal cord injury get on with their lives; Laura Collinson and her powered cycle perfect for life outdoors; the Hodges Family, supported by SSIT; and Andy Hall with his wheelchair specially adapted to cope with the cobbles and slopes of streets in the south west.

Andy Hall with his wheelchair specially adapted to cope with the cobbles and slopes of streets in the south west.




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