News from Phoenix House Recovery Centre

News from Phoenix House Recovery Centre……

Press Release…. For immediate use 21st May, 2015 Injured veteran joins Moto staff in Help for Heroes fundraiser

An injured Army veteran from York will be at Moto Hospitality Ltd’s Wetherby service area this weekend to inspire staff as they Ride for Heroes.

The charitable arm of Britain’s biggest motorway service station chain, Moto in the Community Trust, has pledged to raise £1M for Help for Heroes – its chosen charity for the fourth year running.

The two weekends either side of the half term holiday will see Moto staff take to the saddles of static bikes, provided by Hire Fitness, in service area receptions all around the UK as they endeavour to replicate the Charity’s annual Hero Rides. These involve wounded, injured or sick servicemen, women and veterans, all who have been supported by Help for Heroes, cycling from all corners of the country to converge together in one mass peloton for the final ten miles.

One of this year’s participants of Hero Ride North is former Joseph Rowntree School pupil Justin Henderson.

The 40-year-old was devastated when, while stationed in Germany as a postal courier with the Royal Logistics Corps, a freak accident left him with a broken back and limited mobility. His fractured L5 vertebra has since been replaced with a prosthetic vertebra and now, medically discharged from the army, he works as a part time receptionist at the Help for Heroes only Northern Recovery Centre - Phoenix House in Catterick. “At the time of my injury, I never thought I’d be on a bike today, never mind taking part in such a massive cycling challenge!” said Justin. “But when I saw Hero Ride last year and met some of those taking part, I gave myself the challenge of getting fit enough to join it in 2015.”

Justin will join a group cycling from Edinburgh to Windsor when they stop off for lunch at the Recovery Centre on Wednesday June 17th and ride with them, on his recumbent bike, the rest of the way to Berkshire, arriving on Sunday June 21st.

But this Saturday and Sunday (May 23 & 24) he will be putting his bike onto a turbo trainer alongside fundraising staff at Moto services in Wetherby.

“It means I can raise awareness of the Charity and Hero Ride while still doing some training,” said Justin who currently lives in Catterick with his wife Sam. His two sons, Jack, 13, and Owen, 10, live with their mum in Essex.

“It will also be a great opportunity to chat to people from all over the country, as they stop off for a break in Wetherby, about how Help for Heroes has supported me on my road to recovery.”

Dan Horsley, Area General Manager for Moto Wetherby said: “We are very excited about our Hero Ride this weekend and very honoured to have Justin alongside us helping us raise money for such a fantastic cause.”

Joining Justin and his fellow injured veterans and Service personnel on all five Hero Rides will be members of the public who are being sponsored to complete the journey. Although it is too late to register for one of the major challenges, people are being invited to join the Northern group for the afternoon – cycling from Catterick to Harrogate - in return for a donation to Help for Heroes.

Phoenix House Manager Mo Usman said that taking part in Hero Ride was hugely beneficial to those being supported by Help for Heroes, but could be equally life-changing for members of the public who cycle alongside them.

“It is something they will never forget,” he said.

All Hero Ride cyclists will, ten miles from the finishing line, meet up with riders coming in from Help for Heroes three other Recovery Centres in the UK – Plymouth, Colchester and Wiltshire – for a service of remembrance at the Air Forces Memorial.

The huge cycling peloton will then sweep past Windsor Castle and onto the town’s racecourse for a barbeque and family celebrations.

Anyone interested in the joining the ride for the afternoon of June 17th as it passes through North Yorkshire, can register via the Help for Heroes website, http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/get-involved/hero-ride-2015/hero-ride-north/ , click on Hero Ride North 260 and register using the code Catt 2 Harr. Registration fee will be £25 but participants can raise additional funds if they wish. Ends For More Information, contact: Debbie Calgie, PR Officer Phoenix House Email: [email protected] Tel: 01748 834148

Notes to Editors:

ABOUT HELP FOR HEROES  Help for Heroes offers comprehensive support to those who have suffered life-changing injuries and illnesses while serving our country.  This support is provided through grants to individuals, other charities, capital build projects and at four Help for Heroes Recovery Centres across the UK.  For more information about Help for Heroes, please visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk

ABOUT PHOENIX HOUSE  Help for Heroes’ Recovery Centre at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, officially opened in September 2013. The charity had previously operated an interim facility for 18 months.  Known as Phoenix House Recovery Centre, it has 50 en-suite bedrooms, including four family rooms, a Support Hub enabling access to a wide range of welfare support, an arts and craft room and training, presentation and IT suites. A gymnasium with specialist equipment, a café and social areas also form part of the new Centre.  Unique courses and tailored support are available to recovering serving personnel, veterans and families to help them achieve their long-term goals and aspirations.  Activities include educational courses and vocational visits designed to facilitate a smooth transition to civilian life, as well as sporting activities to improve personal independence, raise morale, develop camaraderie with others who have been wounded, and show what can be achieved.

ABOUT THE MOTO IN THE COMMUNITY TRUST  The Moto in the Community Trust is the charitable arm of Moto Hospitality Ltd. It was established in 2005 and is registered as a charity in England and Wales under charity number 1111147 and in Scotland charity number SCO41488.  For more information about Moto in the Community, please visit www.motointhecommunity.co.uk or call the Moto in the Community Trust Office on 01525 878500.

ABOUT MOTO HOSPITALITY LTD  Moto Hospitality Ltd has 57 motorway and trunk road locations spanning the UK with over 300 leading brand catering and retail outlets employing over 3500 staff. Moto is owned by a consortium of shareholders including Australian Pension Funds and European and New Zealand Infrastructure Funds and is asset managed by Macquarie Investment Bank.  For more information, visit www.moto-way.co.uk

ABOUT DEFENCE RECOVERY CAPABILITY  The Defence Recovery Capability is an MOD initiative in partnership with Help for Heroes and Phoenix House is one of several specialist centres supporting the recovery of wounded, injured and sick Service personnel to ensure they have access to the key services and resources needed to help them either return to duty or make a smooth transition into an appropriately skilled and supported civilian life.  The Defence Recovery Capability is underpinned by substantial financial investment by both MOD and its principal partners Help for Heroes and The Royal British Legion; this represents the largest single charitable contribution to the Armed Forces in British history.  In addition to Catterick, Recovery Centres are located in Edinburgh, Germany, Tidworth, Colchester and Plymouth. The locations of the Centres have been selected to be at the heart of major areas of military presence and offer residential facilities to those wounded, injured and sick personnel from across the Armed Forces undergoing recovery as well as providing facilities for day attendees; they are not hospitals or rehabilitation centres.  For more information on the DRC contact MOD Press Office 0207 218 7907.