Tuesday 7th June 2011 - Published by Kelly Jackson - Communications Executive

Howzat for a Charity Dinner!

England cricketers Ian Bell MBE, Jonathan Trott and Chris Woakes were among the guests at a charity dinner, which raised more than £8,500 to help families affected by a rare and life-threatening skin condition.

The event, which took place at Birmingham’s Hippodrome, raised money for DebRA, which provides care and support for people affected by the genetic skin blistering condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). The dinner was also held in support of Ian Bell’s testimonial year.

Tim Venner, from Birmingham-based financial services firm Jobson James, which organised and sponsored the event, said: “If you’ve ever seen, or heard of children and adults suffering from EB, you’ll know the pain and suffering not only affects them, but puts enormous strain on their family and carers. We were delighted to lend our help and support to DebRA.”

EB is thought to affect one in 17,000 live births, and there are currently around 5,000 people living with the condition in the UK. DebRA supports families affected by EB and provides a team of specialist nurses to provide care and advice.

The charity is currently running a campaign to raise awareness of EB across the Midlands, and of the support work that the organisation is involved in.

Andrew Colville, Senior Events Manager at DebRA, said: “Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Solihull Hospital are two of the UK’s four key centres for the treatment of EB, so it is great to know that everyone who attended this event in Birmingham has learnt a little about the work we do, and why support in the Midlands is so vital.

“This was an excellent, superbly organised event. We cannot thank everyone enough for their hard work and the support we received”, he added.

Roger Dakin, Ian Bell, Andrew Colville and Tim Venner

Roger Dakin, Ian Bell, Andrew Colville and Tim Venner