Cumbrian horse riding centre giddies up to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust

There was no looking the gift horse in the mouth in Newcastle this afternoon when a team of jockeys showed up at Crawford House with their prized-mare, Ruby, and a cheque for £2,488.

Horse Riding Instructor Claire Light organised a charity showjumping event to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust after hearing about the support it provided to a local family.

The charity, which runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ across the country, gives families with seriously ill children in hospital a place to stay close to their child’s bedside. Jumping on board to organise the bespoke showjumping event were Claire’s friends Amy Wright and Michelle Maughan, alongside Deborah Hogg – the owner of Rookin House Equestrian Centre where the event took place last month. Amy Wright said:

“After speaking to people in the area about Crawford House, it soon became apparent just how many families in our community have been supported by The Sick Children’s Trust when their child has been rushed miles away to Newcastle for hospital treatment.

“We were shocked to hear that Crawford House was funded entirely on voluntary donations and knew we could pull together to raise valuable funds.

“We had so much support from the community, with volunteers running the event and local business owners donating generous raffle prizes. The evening was a huge success, raising £2,488 which will give 80 families a comfortable bed just a stone’s throw away from their child’s hospital bedside for a night.”

The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘Homes from Home’ are located at the country’s leading paediatric hospitals, supporting 147 families a night. It costs the charity £30 to give a family a place to stay for one night, and the charity relies entirely on voluntary donations to do this. Crawford House Manager, Andrew Leadbitter, said:

“It’s amazing to see the community get together to support families with children in hospital. Often when a child becomes ill, there is no time to plan and everything is thrown out the window. What we do at The Sick Children’s Trust is provide families with a little bit of stability and take at least one worry away by giving them a place to stay, free of charge, just minutes from their child’s bedside.

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has taken part in this event, because of you more families will be able to stay together.”

For further information about The Sick Children’s Trust, please visit sickchildrenstrust.org