We are over the moon to announce one of our highest grossing fundraisers!
The Pendle YFC Speed Shear has raised an almighty £10,000 for Lyme Disease UK!!
‘Thank you’ doesn’t seem like big enough words to express our gratitude to Lyme disease patient, Daniel Duerden and his family, combined with Pendle YFC who chose to organise the event! We are so touched by their support and dedication to making this a reality.
For anyone who is new to the concept of speed shearing, it’s a competition held amongst farmers to shear sheep in the quickest time. Around 400 young farmers from all counties attended the event held in Lancashire, and a whale of a time was had by all!
There was a bar and a hog roast to fill hungry bellies, and Daniel and his family displayed our awareness posters and handed out our tick cards to inform and educate! Hundreds of young farmers left the event, having learnt about the precautions they need to take against picking up a tick bite that can cause Lyme disease. With recent studies showing that men in rural areas are at greatest risk of contracting Lyme, this was an opportune moment to raise awareness. Daniel also directed the attendees towards our website and social media pages, which contain a wealth of information.
A huge thank you also goes to everyone who purchased tickets to the event and to all those who made additional donations to the grand total. As a small charity, we are in great need of donations, simply to keep us up and running, and this kind of money will make a big difference. It will go towards supporting Lyme disease patients and raising more awareness so that farmers like Daniel can avoid tick bites or seek early treatment to avoid long-term complications.
Special thanks also goes to the venue for giving up their space to host the event! Gisburn Auction Mart did an amazing job and we recognise your generosity!
If you would like to take a leaf out of Daniel’s book and set up a fundraiser, you can find details of how to do so via our fundraising page.