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Joanne Hartshorne (left) and Claire Burnett, the sisters of Leeds Rhinos Rugby League player Rob Burrow, who has motor neurone disease, pose with former teammate Barrie McDermott at the club’s Headingley ground today (Wednesday 9 March) to promote the ‘Burrow Strictly Ball’ at the stadium on 19 March. The Strictly-style event, organised by Rob’s sisters – who have danced for 30 years across the UK – will see Barrie and ten other celebrity dancers perform in front of a star-studded judging panel as they compete for a glitterball trophy (pictured) with the aim of raising £100K for the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds.
PRESS RELEASE
Sisters Launch Burrow Strictly Ball BBC’s Dan Walker and Sally Nugent, Strictly Come Dancing pro Nadiya Bychkova and Line of Duty star Nigel Boyle amongst stars for Strictly fundraiser organised by sisters of Rob Burrow. The sisters of the Rugby League legend Rob Burrow are hosting a starry Burrow Strictly Ball to raise funds for the £5m appeal to build The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in the city. Rob was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2019, and since then his family has worked tirelessly to help raise awareness and funds for several charities, including Leeds Hospitals Charity’s appeal to build the bespoke centre. Both Rob’s sisters, Joanne Hartshorne and Claire Burnett, have danced for 30 years, and competed across the UK, winning national competitions in Ballroom and Latin dancing. Joanne said: “I’ve done a number of Strictly-themed charity fundraising events over the years and right after Rob was diagnosed, after getting over the initial shock and devastation, it was a natural response to try and do something positive as a family. Claire and I have all the dance contacts, and Rob has all the celebrity contacts, and people find it difficult to say no to Rob! We have eleven celebrities already signed up to take part.” BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker and his Strictly partner, Nadiya Bychkova will be judges on the night and will perform a special showstopping dance. They will be joined by fellow Strictly contestant and Emmerdale star Kevin Fletcher, and comedian Jon Richardson, who will also judge the star-studded night. Strictly-star Nadiya said: “‘I love to dance and there is nothing like it for bringing people together. Daniel told me all about Rob and his family and I can’t wait to be part of a very special night’. Since The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease appeal launched in September 2021, £1.6 million has been raised thanks to support from the people of Leeds, the UK and beyond. Joanne added: “We didn’t expect the response on social media and the event to be so big. We really want to raise as much awareness for The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds. It’s great to give something back and the laughter that this has produced within the family has been a real tonic. We are following in Rob’s footsteps and by his example, as he is so positive and passionate about the new centre.” The bespoke centre will see all MND services housed under one roof for the first time. Patients will have access to a range of holistic support tailored to their needs, from speech and language therapy, to diet and nutrition advice, and physiotherapy. Over 400 tickets have already been sold for the event, including to major businesses. So far, the event has raised an incredible £40,000 for the charity. Charles Hanson from BBC’s Bargain Hunt will host a live auction on the night. The ambition is to raise £100,000 for the appeal. Comperes for the evening include BBC Look North’s Tanya Arnold and TV presenter, Helen Skelton. Dancers include football coach and former player Brian Deane, Leeds Rhinos Legend Barrie McDermott, and Leeds Hospitals Charity’s ambassador, TV’s Dr Amir Khan, amongst others. Leeds Hospitals Charity is the charity of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. It supports Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds Children’s Hospital, Leeds Cancer Centre, St James’s University Hospital, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Seacroft Hospital, Wharfedale Hospital and Leeds Dental Institute. Dr Khan said: “Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the biggest hospitals in the UK. Leeds Hospitals Charity raises crucial funds to support research, equipment and buildings to support NHS staff to deliver the best care for over a million patients and their families each year, so being ambassador is a role I am very proud of. The new Rob Burrow Centre for MND will make a huge difference to patients’ lives, their families and loved ones.” You can find out more and donate to The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Appeal through Leeds Hospitals Charity’s website https://www.leedshospitalscharity.org.uk/mnd The Rob Burrow Strictly Ball takes place on 19th March 2022 at the Howard Suite at Headingley Stadium. Follow #Burrowstrictlyball *ENDS* For media enquiries contact clair@causeuk.com 0753 194 8014. Notes for editors: About Leeds Hospitals Charity • Leeds Hospitals Charity is the charity for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. We support NHS staff to deliver the best care for patients and their families, by raising funds for equipment, services, education and research. • Leeds Hospitals Charity provides support for eight areas which include Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds Children’s Hospital, Leeds Cancer Centre, St James’s University Hospital, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Seacroft Hospital, Wharfdale Hospital and Leeds Dental Institute. •Leeds Hospitals Charity supports NHS staff to deliver the best care for over a million patients and their families each year. Working with local communities, schools and businesses across the city and beyond, each year we provide £5 million in additional funding for Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. About Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one the largest and busiest acute hospital trusts in the UK. Every year Leeds Teaching Hospitals provides healthcare and specialist services for people from the city of Leeds, Yorkshire and the Humber and beyond. We play an important role in the training and education of medical, nursing and dental students, and are a centre of world-class research and pioneering new treatments. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has a budget of £1.4 billion and employs around 20,000 people. Last year (2019/2020), the Trust provided over 1,645,000 treatments and episodes of care. Our care and clinical expertise is delivered from seven hospitals on five sites, and they are all joined by our vision to be the best for specialist and integrated care. Our staff helped to define the values and behaviours that we should work to, and this has become known as The Leeds Way. This forms the foundation of our culture, our ethos and how we work every day. About Motor Neurone Disease Motor neurone disease (MND) affects the nerves – called motor neurones – in the brain and spinal cord. MND is a life-shortening disease with no cure. Although the disease will progress, symptoms can be managed to help achieve the best possible quality of life. With MND, messages from the motor neurones gradually stop reaching the muscles. This leads the muscles to weaken, stiffen and waste. MND can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. Some people also experience changes to their thinking and behaviour. However, MND affects everyone differently. Not all symptoms will affect everyone, or in the same order. Symptoms also progress at varying speeds, which makes the course of the disease difficult to predict. MND can affect adults of any age but is more likely to affect people over 50. There is a 1 in 300 risk of being diagnosed with MND. However, the prevalence of a disease is the number of people currently living with that condition. As the progression of MND can be rapid, fewer people are living with this disease than might be expected with a 1 in 300 risk. This means the prevalence is low, with up to 5,000 people living with MND in the UK at any one time. This is why MND is not seen as a common disease. Clair Challenor-Chadwick Managing Director Cause UK @causeuk www.causeuk.com 0753 194 8014