The Royal Artillery sets its sights on Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 in aid of the DNRC
The Royal Artillery sets its sights on Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 in aid of the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre
• ‘Team DNRC’ will be largest team taking part in the Pru 100 on 30 July – 150 riders in total
• 20 members of the Royal Artillery (The Gunners) will head the team
• Riders are raising money to help achieve the £300 million target to create the new Defence facility
• Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 route passes Headley Court where clinical rehabilitation has been provided since the 1940s and will transfer to the DNRC from 2018
A team of 150 riders – ‘Team DNRC’ – will be taking on the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 on Sunday 30 July cycling over the 100 mile course to raise money and awareness for the new Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC).
Captain Leon Young will head a contingent of more than 20 Gunner riders and knows first-hand the value and effectiveness of clinical rehabilitation as is currently provided at Headley Court, the current Defence Medical Centre which is preparing to move to the new site of the DNRC, just outside Loughborough.
Captain Leon Young said: “I suffered a catastrophic break to my leg during training so was seriously concerned about what it might mean for my ability to do my job and serve in my unit. An expert team of clinicians and physiotherapists put me back together again, helping me to regain fitness and do all of the things I could do before. For someone with years of military training behind me, that was massive because I could continue in my role and make positive use of my experience. The new DNRC is going to take all of the expertise developed at Headley Court and allow it to flourish in a purpose-planned and purpose-built new site. It’s a huge opportunity and I’m only too pleased to play a part by riding to raise money for the DNRC.”
Alongside Leon and the Gunners will be riders and representatives from a broad cross section of supporters – including Interserve Construction Ltd (the main contractor building the Defence facility), Arup (programme managers), Steffian Bradley Architects (joint architects) and BAE Systems (corporate supporters).
The DNRC is under construction at the Stanford Hall Estate near Loughborough with the Defence facility due to be operational in the new location in the autumn of 2018.
The fundraising target to create the Defence facility is £300 million of which more than £260 million has been raised by the charity so far. ‘Team DNRC’ is looking to help raise part of the about £40 million required to complete the task which is a charitable endeavour and was the initiative of the late 6th Duke of Westminster who died in 2016.
The Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 takes place on roads across London and Surrey following much of the London 2012 Olympic route – the route passes very close to Headley Court.
Holly Butcher, Director of Fundraising for the DNRC, said: “Team DNRC embodies the passion, commitment and selfless generosity that makes the DNRC initiative so remarkable. We have 150 riders getting ready to take on this exciting Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 challenge, flying the flag for the DNRC and helping us to raise money and awareness. I take my hat of to all of them and am incredibly grateful for their hard work and support to reach our target.”
In addition to providing a 21st century version of Headley Court, the DNRC programme provides the opportunity for a complementary National facility on the same site – focused on excellence in clinical rehabilitation for civilians in the same way that the Defence facility will care for members of the Armed Forces.
The opportunity for this National facility is currently being explored and a decision is expected from Government later this year.
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Images:
A range of photographs will be available following the photocall – contact Camargue (details below).
Background:
Information on the Pru Ride at https://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/
More on the DNRC at https://www.thednrc.org.uk/ – see details about the construction of the Defence facility, the origin of the programme and what it will deliver throughout the website including a number of personal video perspectives from those involved.
The Defence facility is under construction and will be operating in the autumn of 2018. The cost for constructing the new 21st century successor to Headley Court in Surrey is being met via charitable donations. The MoD will pay the running costs.
The complementary National facility – for which outline planning permission has been secured and a site made available close by the Defence facility – would be funded and operated separately. See more detail on the opportunity for the National (‘N’ element) of the DNRC at https://www.thednrc.org.uk/whats-happening-on-now/we-are-exploring-the-opportunities-for-the-nation.aspx
More on the Gunners fundraising and team at
https://www.justgiving.com/companyteams/RoyalArtilleryCycling
Media contact:
For DNRC: Ben Copithorne / Emily Barnes / Richard Pia at Camargue on dnrc@camargue.uk / 020 7636 7366
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Contacts for further information:
Ben Copithorne or Emily Barnes at Camargue on 020 7636 7366 or dnrc@camargue.uk