Bramham International Announce Their Charitable Partner For 2012

Posted on Friday, 03 February 2012 11:28AM by

2012 is a monumental year for sport and the organisers of the Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials have nominated the Cystic Fibrosis Trust as their charitable partner in the hope to raise much-needed funds. Over the four days of the event, 7 – 10 June, the Trust will be on-site to collect, educate and entertain the 60,000-strong crowd. A prize raffle, ‘horseless’ horse trial and celebrity dinner are some of the planned activities – along with the traditional bucket collections. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the only national charity in the UK dedicated to improving care for people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and helps provide direct support to those with this cruel disease and their families. CF is one of the UK’s most common life threatening inherited diseases, affecting over 9000 babies, children and young adults – few sufferers live beyond 38 years old. The disease is caused by a defective gene that results in the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, becoming clogged with a thick sticky mucus resulting in chronic infections and inflammation in the lungs and difficulty absorbing food. The CF Trust funds Gene Therapy Research into improving and extending the lives of CF sufferers and relies entirely on fundraising to carry out its work and make a difference to all those with CF. Monies raised at Bramham will help to fund the specialist training of CF doctors and nurses plus a vital paediatric CF dietician at the Leeds General Infirmary costing £35,000. Northern regional fundraising manager Pat Kilpatrick said, “We are enormously grateful for this fantastic opportunity at Bramham to raise our profile and vital funds in the region to help us reach our goals and we are looking to generate as much awareness and support for all those with CF.” For further information you can go online at www.cftrust.org.uk or call 0300 373 1046. Sasha York, a friend of Bramham hosts the Lane Fox family, shares her experiences with the CF Trust as her son, Charlie, aged seven and a half, has CF; “Charlie was not diagnosed until a few days after his first birthday and was immediately admitted into Kings College Hospital, London for an intensive course of intravenous antibiotics. It was a horrible time for us and all who love him but also relief at finally being able to help him. “The past six years since his diagnosis have been a steep learning curve. We were told at the outset that our lives would now be filled with peaks and troughs, we can only agree. Every time Charlie coughs our hearts sink, we know that he has another infection which we will have to try and beat. This involves intensive daily physiotherapy, countless antibiotics and twice daily nebulised antibiotics; it is a lot to ask of anyone to put up with not least a young child. When the infection gets too much Charlie is admitted to hospital for a two week course of intravenous drug therapy. He never complains. “It is wonderful for the CF Trust that the Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials have chosen to support Cystic Fibrosis at the 2012 event. This will bring much needed awareness of Cystic Fibrosis and the CF Trust and all they do. Cystic Fibrosis is a devastating disease for all who suffer from it and for all who know and love someone with CF. The CF Trust are the national charity for Cystic Fibrosis and they give invaluable support to the families and those with CF.” Winter may still be lingering but the 2012 event is already taking shape. The box office opens on February 1st – don’t miss the chance of free car parking, Ian Stark’s cross country course is looking good under the watchful eye of builder David Evans and bookings are flooding in for the renown Bramham shopping village which will be better than ever. Event Director Nick Pritchard commented; “We’re looking forward to working with Pat and her team from the CF Trust. Their work is so vital and we hope to raise a significant amount to help with local and national initiatives. We raised the bar in 2011 and the event entered a new level so in this exciting year, we refuse to stand still and hope that our loyal visitors will enjoy what we have planned and also hope to see some new faces in the crowd! We’re expecting some top competition on the eve of the riders heading to Greenwich for the Olympic Games so join us!” Visit the Box Office online – www.bramham-horse.co.uk to secure your 2012 tickets plus keep up-to-date with news and information about the event. Facebook is a great way to follow the event build-up plus Nick Pritchard is now on Twitter  Bramham Press Release