Off-road meeting returns

Off-road meeting returns

14 June 2023

AFTER a five year wait the Mourne Motorcycle Club will hold their 13th off-road racing charity event in Ballynahinch next Wednesday, June 21.

To date the Mourne club have raised money for 23 local charitable causes, along with money donated to other causes totalling more than £80,000.

In 2019 the club was supposed to hold the event in aid of The Jenny Foundation and Ballynahinch Lions Club, but a waterlogged track meant that the event had to be cancelled.

Since then circumstances outside the club’s control, such as Covid, meant that the event couldn’t go ahead until now.

The club had intended to raise money for the two charities chosen in 2019, but now the chosen charities will be The Jenny Foundation and St John’s Ambulance.

Club chairman, Billy McLarnin said: “The Mourne club’s charity work started in 2006 and we held our first event for the Children’s Hospice in 2007, which raised £7,500.

“We always try to support something local and when we received Alana’s letter, we knew that The Jenny Foundation was the right choice.

“This year we have also chosen St John’s Ambulance, who are always on hand to help at our races. Two of their members even came to a club meeting recently to give our members a talk on first aid and how to use a defibrillator.”

The Jenny Foundation was chosen as one of two recipients this year, due to its close connection to the motocross fraternity, but more importantly, the fantastic work that it has been created to carry out.

The Jenny Foundation was set up by the family of the late Jennifer Newell to support children from Northern Ireland who are living with cancer.

The foundation’s work will be predominantly carried out through the Cancer Fund for Children, but when a child needs specialised treatment outside of the NHS, the foundation aims to focus support towards them.

Jennifer’s daughter, Alana Newell, explained the cause of The Jenny Foundation: “All of the money that we raise is to help people in the province, specifically with Daisy Lodge.

“We have been doing all of our fundraising as a family. Our first event was a charity walk in Annalong on April 13, 2019, which raised £1,620 in memory of my mum.

“Since that we have carried out numerous events to raise money including a group relay at the Belfast Marathon and in May, 2021 I had my head shaved.

“Along with the fundraising we arrange visits to families of children who are suffering from cancer. During Covid and due to children being immune suppressed, we have helped to organise visits from Santa for some children,” she said.

St John Ambulance has been chosen for a second time (previously in 2011 with the Red Cross) owing to the continued support they offer at Mourne club events, with the money going to their Banbridge and Newry branches.

Speaking at the launch, St John’s crew member Alison Henry said: “We are delighted to be chosen again this year.

“St John’s Ambulance has a long history with Mourne Motorcycle Club, from my dad’s time as a crew member, to my time now.

“We are hoping to put any monies raised towards training materials such as mannequins, as the ones we have need to be replaced.

“Along with providing first aid at events, we also provide training and first aid awareness. Hopefully this will help us to get out into the community more,” she said.

The event will be held at Millbridge, Ballynahinch, with bikes on the track from 6pm. There will also be quads and sidecars taking part.

Once again, the Mourne club will be helped by Ballynahinch Lions, Cafe Rossi, Keith Cullen from Herron’s Country Fried Chicken and Watsons Flowers.

Admission to the event is £5 for adults, while children go free and car parking is also free. 

Charities which have benefited from the event down the years as as follows: 2007, Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice; 2008, Kidney Research Fund and Marie Curie Cancer Care; 2009, Tiny Life and Autism Northern Ireland; 2010, Friends of Bridgewater House and Montalto Medical Centre, Ballynahinch; 2011, Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance; 2012, Cash for Kids and Reece Burrows Cerebral Palsy Fund; 2013, Lucy Parke Appeal and Grove House, Ballynahinch; 2014, Ballynahinch Branch of Cancer Research and Mitre Trust Spinal Injuries Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital; 2015 – Macmillan Nurses and Emma Hamilton, from Kilmore; 2016 – Camphill Grange House and Newcastle RNLI; 2017, Air Ambulance Service NI and injured motocross rider Wayne Garrett; 2018, Motor Neurone Disease Association of Northern Ireland and Perinatal Trust Fund (NI).