Ambition to contribute to nationwide network of Brain Centres with Brain & Spine Foundation

Reading, UK, May 4, 2011. In the tenth anniversary year of Richard Burns 2001 World Rally Championship title, the charitable Foundation that acts in his memory has consolidated its mission in a new development to help the Brain & Spine Foundation create a nationwide network of brain centres in the UK.Inspired by the leadership of Richard’s surgeon, Peter J Hamlyn, MB BS, BSc, MD, FRCS, FISM, who is also the Founder Trustee of the Brain & Spine Foundation, Richard’s charity will help to address the startling lack of neurological provision in the UK.Given that neurological injury and illness is a bigger cause of serious disability in the UK than cancer, heart disease and diabetes put together, the paucity of neurological services in NHS is staggering. In 760 acute hospitals in the UK, only 4% have neurological units. Over a million people – half of these children and young adults – suffer a head injury every year. Alongside neuro injury, neurological illness has an incredible diversity of manifestations, from foetal diseases such as Spina Bifida, through to conditions that afflict the young, such as Cerebral Palsy& Meningitis; the unrelenting assault from neuro conditions continues through adult life, with brain tumours & brain haemorrhages all too common. And neuro illness follows us into old age, with the widespread incidence of conditions ranging from Parkinson’s to Dementia & Alzheimer’s.Given the scale & range of neuro injury and illness and the scarcity of specialist practitioners, the Richard Burns Foundation has committed its charitable endeavour to support the Brain & Spine Foundation to help close this resourcing gap. The ambition is to fund the first Brain Centre, where members of public can access walk-in support and advice from specialist neurological nurses who can provide guidance for the array of neurological conditions from MS, Motor Neurone Disease & stroke, to name but a few.Dependent on the success of this venture, the Richard Burns Foundation is committed to supporting the Brain & Spine Foundation to spread the Brain Centre project nationally.Zoe Scott of the Richard Burns Foundation said, “In the tenth anniversary year of Richard’s World Championship, we are delighted to refocus our charitable efforts to support this amazing cause. We have helped quite a number of very worthy causes in the past six years, from Headway to the Lewis Hamilton Foundation, Welsh Air Ambulance, Teenage Cancer Trust and the Make-a-Wish Foundation to name but a few. However, with so many people affected by neurological trauma or illness yet forced to cope with such limited medical provision, it makes complete sense to focus our fundraising for the Brain & Spine Foundation Brain Centres in Richard’s name.”David Lapworth, a trustee of the Richard Burns Foundation and Prodrive/MINI WRC Technical Director said, “Over the course of the next 12 months, expect to hear a lot more about the Richard Burns Foundation; a number of very prominent people and organisations are joining us to ramp up our work given the important ambition we have set out. We have recently welcomed Pirelli’s Motorsport Director, Paul Hembrey, to the Foundation as a Trustee, and this is the beginning of an exciting year of development for us.”The Richard Burns Foundation has an annual programme of events and fund-raising activities in 2011, headlined by the Richard Burns Foundation Summer Dinner on Friday, June 24, 2011 at the exclusive Salon Privé at Syon Park, Chiswick. An auction of motorsport ephemera, collectibles and money-can't-buy experiences kindly donated by Formula One and World Rally Teams and select addresses from some of international motosport's greatest stars follows a Pommery champagne reception and an evening of fine dining. More information and tickets for Salon Privé can be found by clicking here.

Ten Startling Facts About Neurological illness & injury in the UKMore people die or are left disabled by neurological disorders than either heart disease or cancer.

Brain tumours affect 5,000 people every year in the UK and are the commonest solid cancer to affect children.

The range of neurological disorders affecting the brain is almost endless and affect us in vitro (Spina Bifida, neural tube defect) to babies and young children (Autism, Meningitis) to young adult (Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone disease) all the way through to to later life (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s).Head injury is the biggest killer of teenagers and young males into their mid-20’s in the UK (more than appendicitis or broken bones) and 12% of head injuries result from sporting activity.

The overwhelming majority of head-injured patients will NOT benefit from seeing a specialist neurologist.For many head injured patients, the so-called ‘golden hour’ (the 60 minutes during which specialist intervention can significantly affect outcomes) can be spent in the back of an ambulance.You would be twice as likely to wake up in a hospital bed with a brain surgeon at the end of your bed in Greece, Portugal or Spain than you would in the UK.Of 20,000 consultant specialists in the UK, there are just 300 neurosurgeons. There are NINE TIMES more specialists per head of population in Japan than the UK.The number of people with dementia-related conditions is forecast to double in the next 20 years.Despite this paucity of provision, stroke victims occupy 11% of all hospital beds. Stroke will affect 1 in ten of us.

Find out more from the Brain & Spine Foundation at: www.brainandspine.org.ukFind out more about the Richard Burns Foundation at: http://www.richardburnsfoundation.comThe Richard Burns Foundation 2011 Calendar of Events – Come Support UsMay 14/15 The Rally Show, Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire www.therallyshow.orgJune 24 Richard Burns Foundation Summer Dinner at Salon Privé http://www.salonprivelondon.com/cart-event-fri-evening2.aspJuly 1/2/3 Goodwood Festival of Speed http://www.goodwood.co.uk/festival-of-speed/Aug 13/14 Richard Burns Memorial Rally http://www.richardburnsmemorialrally.co.uk/Sept 17 Castle Combe Rally day http://www.rallyday.com/Sept 16-18 Goodwood Revival http://www.goodwood.co.uk/revival/Oct 14-16 Rally Scotland http://www.msaevents.co.uk/ros.phpOct 20-23 Rally Spain http://www.rallyracc.com/Nov 11-13 Wales Rally GB http://www.walesrallygb.com/