Rally duo raise cash for hearing charity

Published on 21st June 2007 in News

An all-female rally driving team has shown triumph in the face of adversity by raising more than £2,000 for a local charity - despite failing to complete a fundraising rally held last month.

Jayne Auden and Amanda Cornforth set out to raise £5,000 for the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity - which has a training centre based in Cliffe - by taking part in last month's Jim Clark National Rally in the Scottish Borders, but ran into trouble when the car they were rallying hit an oil patch and came off the road.

The pair aimed to use the event to raise money and awareness for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People through their Hear and Now project, but carried on fundraising determinedly, despite failing to finish the rally. It is estimated that they have managed to raise around £2,500 so far.

Twenty-five year-old Jayne, who drove the 1,400cc MG ZR car in the rally, while Amanda Cornforth acted as co-driver, said this week: "We reached the last stage of the rally and I just misjudged a corner. There was also some oil spilled on the road, so we managed to end up wedged in a hedge.

"Of course, we are disappointed that we didn't make it to the finish but, most importantly, we have raised money for Hearing Dogs and promoted the charity and the work they do. This weekend we will be totalling up all the money we have raised but we are still welcoming any other money that comes in.

"The rally was simply a means of promoting our fundraising and, through it, we have been able to tell people all about what Hearing Dogs for Deaf People does."

Jayne is hard of hearing, but has been involved in rallying since the age of 16 and has driven competitively since she was 19, so was keen to show that being hearing impaired does not stop you from doing anything.

She said: "I am hearing impaired and I have been supporting the charity for a number of years because it is something that is close to my heart."

Prior to taking part in the rally last month, Jayne and Amanda paid a visit to the Beatrice Wright training centre in Cliffe to learn more about the process of training a hearing dog, and were amazed by the work that is carried out.

"The charity takes puppy dogs from rescue centres, and trains them up to assist a deaf person in their everyday life," said Jayne.

"It really is amazing; these dogs are just so clever and you don't realise it."

Amanda added: "I knew very little about the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People before I met Jayne and the work they do has astounded me. They are essentially two charities in one.

"Jayne has also amazed me by the fact that her deafness does not stop her doing anything and this is an important message to give."

This week, Jenny Moir, spokesperson for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, told this newspaper: "The Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity relies totally on public funding, so events like this are fantastic because they not only raise money but awareness of what we do, and this fundraising event has been very high-profile.

"Jayne is hard of hearing so she knows how useful it is to have this service available to people. The women came to visit our training centre in Cliffe, and I think that really spurred them on to raise as much money as possible.

"We think the work they are doing is brilliant."

Donation details

If you would like to make a donation to Jayne and Amanda's Hear and Now project, donate your money directly via:

www.justgiving.com/hearandnowfundraising or e-mail: jayneandamanda@googlemail.com