The Lords team was today crowned champions at the annual Rehab UK Parliamentary Pancake Race. The race, which was sponsored by British Lion Eggs, was officially started by ITV newscaster Mary Nightingale who ensured fair play all round and that the participants observed the carefully thought-out rules of engagement.
The race is organised every year by national brain injury charity Rehab UK to raise awareness of its work with people with the condition. This year’s event also sees the announcement of a new vocational programme by Rehab UK which is expanding its services beyond people with brain injury to people with learning difficulties and/or a disability, such as motor neurone disease or cerebral palsy.
Teams from the House of Lords, the House of Commons and the Parliamentary Press Gallery took over Victoria Tower Gardens next to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, to take part in the race.
Determined to beat last year’s winners, the media team, after their victory in 2008, the Lords team’s tactics saw them cross the finishing line first. The victorious Lords team comprised Lord Redesdale, Lord Addington, Lord Dholakia and Lord Morris of Manchester.
Taking second place was the team from the media which featured the BBC’s Nick Robinson, Channel 4’s Gary Gibbon, ITN’s Lucy Manning and The Daily Telegraph’s Andrew Porter.
Finishing in third place was the MP’s team, represented by Andrew Selous MP, Betty Williams MP, Steven Hammond MP and Martin Horwood MP.
Rehab UK the Real Winner
ITV newscaster, Mary Nightingale, presented the winning team with their medals: "It was a real delight to see politicians, and indeed the media, get out of their comfort zone and lend their support to this very worthy cause. Of course, it’s all just a bit of fun and the real winner must be Rehab UK and awareness of the really valuable work that it does for people with brain injury."
Speaking following their win, Lord Morris of Manchester commented: "It was another great race and we are delighted to be taking the trophy. Of course, we’re just pleased to be able to join with Rehab UK and to play our part in highlighting the really important issue of brain injury, particularly among young people, and how we help those who find themselves in this unfortunate situation to rebuild their lives."
Ian Welsh, Rehab Group’s Director of UK Services, comments:
"Rehab UK is delighted once more to be hosting an event which has all but become part and parcel of the Westminster parliamentary calendar. Of course, the Parliamentary Pancake Race is not really just about flipping pancakes. It’s about raising funds for Rehab UK and letting people know about the work that we do for people with acquired brain injury. In this regard, we are so incredibly grateful to the MPs, Lords, members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, and race sponsors British Lion Eggs, for their participation and unequivocal support.
"It is estimated that more than 135,000 people leave hospital in the UK every year having sustained a serious head injury. Brain injury can have a devastating impact not only on the person with the injury but also on their wider family and friends; often it can have life-long implications in terms of disability, quality of life and economic impact. Of course, thanks to medical advances, more and more people are living with an acquired brain injury, and that is very good news indeed, but we also need to ensure that in tandem with this we develop our rehabilitation services to meet this growing need.
"At Rehab UK, we are constantly innovating and looking at new ways to support people. This year at our London Brain Injury Centre, we are launching a new programme, in conjunction with our colleagues in TBG Learning and funded by the Learning Skills Council. This programme will see us provide support not only to people with a brain injury, but use that expertise which we have garnered over many years to now support learners with learning difficulties and/or a disability into apprenticeships, paid employment, voluntary work, further education and training. It’s about providing people with skills for jobs, from writing CVs to completing application forms, accessing a Jobs Club, sampling work and going on work placement. It really is further evidence that Rehab UK is now becoming a recognised provider of vocational training across the pan-disability field.
Community Solutions Bridging the Care Pathway
"Separately, our very successful Community Solutions programme which we piloted last year in the London Brain Injury Centre, is also now being expanded to our other Centres in Birmingham and Newcastle. The programme is about providing an alternative to residential and centre-based services, particularly where distance may be an issue or fatigue a problem, thereby reducing the social exclusion of people with brain injury. We do this by having our teams of psychologists and community rehabilitation workers provide practical and social support to people on a one-to-one basis in the comfort of their own homes. In this very familiar environment, we support people’s personal development, communication and social skills, as well as providing practical support with activities of daily living like cooking, budgeting, shopping, travelling, and so on. It’s all about giving people back their sense of independence, enhancing their quality of life and bridging the care pathway from medical to vocational rehabilitation."
