Fundraiser set to smash Battle Back target

The Original Battle Back Ball Fund has raised £9,300 since it was set up in 2011.

And it is hoped that upcoming fundraisers, including an indoor barbecue, a pig race and a charity bonfire will raise the money required to hit the target.

The money will go towards the Battle Back Centre at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire, which specialises in treating war veterans who have sustained injuries or disabilities in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

Tim Wood, one of the charity’s fundraisers and owner of the The Old Colonial, on Dunbottle Lane, which has hosted several of the project’s fundraising events, said: “We’ve got a lot of troops coming back home from Afghanistan with injuries and lost limbs and these centres take a lot of the slack off the places that are already treating them.

“Each major garrison has their own dedicated centre, and so we wanted to raise money for our very own here in Yorkshire.”

The Battle Back fundraising initiative was set up by the Royal British Legion to support specialist rehab units for soldiers across the country, and is supported by the Help for Heroes charity.

The Mirfield fund has been supported by an additional £4,000 from the Barclays Bank Community Support Project.

Mr Wood, 55, also said that he and his team of volunteer fundraisers will be going up to Catterick Garrison to personally present them with the £10,000 cheque once the target had been achieved.

He added: “The money will go towards whatever the centre needs to help them treat the soldiers. We know that the money we’ll give them will be spent very wisely and very appropriately.

“Everyone who’s helped has put a lot of hard work in and to raise what we’ve raised in only two years is not bad at all.”

The indoor barbecue will be held at the Old Colonial this Bank Holiday Monday at 5pm with tickets available at £3.50 a head.

Anyone wishing to donate money to the fund is welcome to call Tim Wood on 01924 496920.