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Two leading charitable organisations to benefit at Wales Rally GB

The Richard Burns Foundation and Project Mobility have been selected as the official charitable organisations of Wales Rally GB – the 13th and final round of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship. The Richard Burns Foundation will be fundraising throughout the Rally, as well as hosting a charity auction inside Cardiff Castle at Rallyfest on Saturday 12th November. Project Mobility will be competing in the Wales Rally GB National in preparation for taking on the challenge of the Dakar Rally in 2014.    

The Richard Burns Foundation was created following the death of Richard Burns, the 2001 FIA World Rally Champion, from an astrocytoma – a form of brain tumour – in November 2005. Its mission – in this, the 10th anniversary year of Richard’s world title – is to help the Brain & Spine Foundation to create a nationwide network of brain centres to address a shortfall in neurological provision in the UK.

The Foundation, which has high profile patrons such as double British Touring Car Championship winner Jason Plato and MSA performance director Robert Reid, has recently launched the ‘Paint it Orange’ campaign. Motorsport fans are being encouraged to purchase commemorative t-shirts from www.grandstandmerchandise.com, with all proceeds going towards funding the first hospital-based brain centre. A number of the shirts, worn and signed by top WRC and F1 stars, will be available as part of a ‘money can’t buy’ auction at Cardiff Rallyfest. Details of the full lot listing will be available at www.walesrallygb.com closer to the event.   

Also joining the action at Cardiff Rallyfest will be Project Mobility, fresh from competing in the Wales Rally GB National. Project Mobility, which recently featured on BBC’s Top Gear programme, is a not-for-profit organisation empowering the differently abled bodied to take on and compete with the abled bodied on their own terms in some of the most competitive arenas motorsport has to offer. The organisation will be running two adapted Land Rover Freelanders in the Wales Rally GB National in preparation for taking on the challenge of the Dakar Rally in 2014.  

Nottingham-based Nathan Cumberland, who will be co-driving one of the Freelanders is an above and below the knee amputee after being involved in an IED explosion while on military tour in 2009. He commented: “To be the first disabled team entering Wales Rally GB is a great honour. Competing on Remembrance weekend, we hope to highlight those gone before us and to show that those left with life changing injuries can achieve on a par with the abled bodied in all forms of sport.

“With the Paralympics next year, and many injured soldiers competing, we are just continuing the message that ‘anything is possible’ but from behind a wheel. We hope we can be great ambassadors for the sport and inspire many more to join the Project.”

Fans interested in meeting the Project Mobility team can visit the Service Park at the Royal Welsh Showground, near Builth Wells, on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th November or attend Rallyfest Cardiff, which takes place outside Cardiff Castle on the evening of Saturday 12th November.

For the latest updates, directions and stage information, follow Wales Rally GB on Twitter @walesrallygb, join the conversations on Facebook at www.facebook.com/walesrallygb or visit the website www.walesrallygb.com.