Colin Javens Organises Charity Clay Pigeon Competition at Holme Lacy College to Raise Money for Spinal Research

Hereford, United Kingdom, April 14, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Having raised £500,000 driving from Stoke Mandeville Hospital to Cape Town Colin Javens has organised a Charity Clay Pigeon Competition at Holme Lacy College to raise more money for spinal research.

Colin, a former Holme Lacy student, has been paralysed for 6 years after breaking his neck by diving off a harbour wall into deceptively shallow water. Not the sort of person to be stopped by being wheelchair bound last year he drove a grueling 22,000km across some of Africa’s toughest terrain in 164 days to raise awareness of spinal injuries. Not content with the £500,000 he raised for spinal charities he has now planned a Charity Clay Pigeon Competition on May 5th 2007 and hopes to raise another £2000.

The event is open to individuals and businesses in the West Midlands Teams from local businesses are invited to enter the competition whether they’ve shot a gun before or not. The concept is to introduce some competitive spirit into the work place whilst taking the opportunity to involve friends, employees, customers or clients in a day out, shooting clay pigeons for charity, at Holme Lacy College.

The funds are in aid of a newly formed Herefordshire charity, Spinal Research West Midlands Branch, which has been spearheaded by tetraplegic Colin.

Colin commented, “Spinal injury can happen to anyone; it happened to me. We have organised this to raise funds for a serious cause but the emphasis is on fun.”

He continued, “The competition is a team bonding, fun, motivational day designed to enhance working relationships through competitive shooting and charity fund raising,”

Peter Hewitt, Farm Enterprise Coordinator at Holme Lacy College commented, "Colin is an ex-student of Holme Lacy College and his spinal injury highlighted how vulnerable we all are to a devastating accident, especially in activity based industries like the ones we teach here at the college. We instantly empathised with his cause of raising money to help fund a cure for paralysis, hence hosting the clay pigeon competition.”

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Further details from Stefan Drew on 07904 897 929 stefandrew@gmail.com or
Colin Javens on 07968 753886 colin@spinal-research.org

Notes to Editors

Further contacts
Colin’s websites are www.colinjavens.com www.drivinghome.co.uk
Additional information on spinal research can be found at www.spinal-research.org
The College’s website is at www.pershore.ac.uk

The Event
Peter Hewitt, who is organising the logistics of the competition, will be making sure everything from breakfast, safety, shooting equipment and lunch is taken care of so that the competitors have a really good experience. The competition will take place on May 5th. Minimum entry will be £220 per team with a prize going to the team who raise the most. At the end of the competition the winners and best losers will be awarded with a prize. For the competition to take place the organisers need 15 teams to enter. Peter and Colin are hoping to raise £2000.

Additional information
Spinal cord injury could happen to anyone! In July 2000, aged 20, it happened to Colin Javens when he dived into sea that was too shallow. He broke his neck, and is now paralysed from the shoulders down. He retains limited arm movement but unless there is a miraculous scientific breakthrough he won’t walk again - a devastating accident!

Colin, however, has refused to be beaten by paralysis. In April 2006 he completed ‘Driving Home’; a vehicle-driven overland African Expedition from the UK to Cape Town, South Africa. The expedition was a world first for anybody with his level of disability and has raised £500,000 for spinal injury related charities.

The expedition highlighted the fact that spinal injury is a 'Global Problem‘, so Spinal Research West Midlands Branch was set up in November 2006 by Colin on his return from his expedition with the aim of raising funds to help fund a cure for paralysis.