Local Charities to Benefit from Bruntingthorpe’s Annual Midsummer Celebration

Seven charities local to Bruntingthorpe aerodrome and proving ground benefit from a massive midsummer 2011 fund-raising event in one of the purpose-built function buildings on the 670-acre site. News of help for good causes close to the Leicestershire business came at the recent presentation of two £10,000 cheques to military charities following the inaugural midsummer event last year when more than £45,000 was raised.

Bruntingthorpe Support Local Charities

Cheques handed to charities. From left to right Sgt Dave Holland, David Walton, Lt Col Jack Tarr OBE,
Paul Atkin and Sgt Mark Poxon.

Bruntingthorpe‟s Midsummer Big Party 2011 was held on Saturday 18th June and provided hours of music, dancing, entertainment and food for up to 1,000 partygoers from business and commerce. Organisers were planning to emulate last year‟s event, which was a sell-out and voted a huge success by all concerned.

The decision to support local charities was announced by Paul Atkin, general manager for business development, when he and managing director, David Walton, handed cheques for £10,000 to both Help the Heroes and the Army Benevolent Fund. Lt Col. Jack Tarr OBE from the ABF, Sgt Mark Poxon from REME and Sgt Dave Holland from the Royal Engineers received the cheques in the shadow of Bruntingthorpe‟s newest addition to its Cold War Aircraft Collection – an RAF Nimrod maritime patrol plane.

“We have long been big supporters of military charities because of Bruntingthorpe‟s history as a Royal Air Force and USAAF base,” said Mr Atkin. “And since 2005 we‟ve have our own „adopted‟ charity, the Robbie Anderson Cancer Trust, which is based in Leicester. We will continue to support RACT and its work to help teenagers with cancer. However, since many of us involved in the organisation of the Midsummer event also support non-military charities, we felt we would like to help them too. All seven are either locally-based or the local branch of regional charities.”

As with last year‟s event, 50% of the proceeds will go to RACT with the balance divided between Leicester Animal Aid, the Forces‟ Children‟s Trust, the Harley Staples Cancer Trust, STEPS, Wish Upon A Star, the Salvation Army and HOPE (Help One Person Every day). “More details about our Midsummer Big Party will be published very soon,” said Mr Atkin. “But if it is anywhere near as successful as last year‟s event these seven charities will each receive a really useful contribution to their funds.”