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 Rider Jumps At Chance To Help
Thursday 15th February 2007
A Blandford business woman is preparing to saddle up for the ride of a lifetime and raise much- needed funds for charity.
Julie Armstrong, joint managing director of waste management and recycling company J&G Environmental, is taking part in a ten-day horseback safari along The Waterberg Trail in South Africa's Northern Province next month.
Mrs Armstrong, aged 52, hopes to raise at least £5,000 for the Mark Davies Injured Riders' Fund and the Waterberg Welfare Society (WWS). She said: "I have been riding since the age of ten and have had some great times. This challenge seemed to be an ideal way of putting something back into the sport I love."
Fund raising started on Saturday with a Valentine's Ball at the Crown Hotel, Blandford, although Mrs Armstrong said more cash was needed. The pink and animal print themed event, which included an auction, was also in aid of Breakthrough breast cancer and raised around £2,000.
The horse trek will see riders pass through reserves, mountains and valleys, camping in the bush and viewing game from horseback. One of her fellow riders will be Moira Mann, a lifelong friend of Mrs Armstrong from her days living in Keith, Scotland.
The MDIRF was set up in 1988 by the parents of Mark Davies, who died in a fall at the Burghley Horse Trails and now helps others who have been injured in equestrian accidents. It provides victims with advice and practical help, such as wheelchairs and stairlifts, and campaigns to improve safety standards.
The WWS was formed in 2000 to help and support HIV and AIDS victims in South Africa's Waterberg region.
To sponsor Mrs Armstrong call 01258 453445 or email julie@jg-environmental.com for a sponsorship form.
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For further information please contact:
Julie Armstrong at J&G Environmental. Telephone: 01258 453445.
This article appeared in The Western Gazette on 15th February 2007.
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