Marines march to help brave tot Charlie
A concert featuring The Royal Marines Band is being held in Northampton next week aiming to raise money to help pay for life-enhancing medical treatment for a 22-month-old boy with cerebral palsy.
The event, due to be held at the Royal & Derngate on Saturday, February 6 at 7.30pm, has been organised by the family of Charlie Austin, of Weggs Farm Road, Duston, Northampton.
All profits will be used to pay for Charlie to have private treatment at the Advance Centre for the Scotson Technique in West Sussex, which offers specialist medical care for children with cerebral palsy and other brain injuries.
Charlie's mum, Kerri, said her son was really benefiting from sessions at the Advance Centre, where parents are taught specific exercise techniques which help strengthen the weak tissue structures of his diaphragm.
However, the family still needs more money to pay for the expensive treatment.
She said: "We want to do our best for him but private treatment comes at a huge cost. We are trying to raise money so that, hopefully, it will make his life easier in the future.
"We decided to do a big fundraising evening that will not only be providing entertainment but hopefully raising money to enable us to continue to provide Charlie with therapies and equipment necessary to enhance his life."
Mrs Austin said her son had shown an inspirational fighting spirit since being born five weeks early, on March 23, 2008, and subsequently found to have cerebral palsy, which affects muscle tone and movement, making it difficult for children to sit, crawl, walk and talk.
She said: "Every day Charlie never fails to amaze us and daily exceeds his expectations. He is headstrong and determined and hopefully these qualities will continue to drive him to ensure that he will continue to sustain the progress that he has made so far."
The man who came up with the idea for the concert was Charlie's grandfather Trevor Newstead, who used his contacts as an ex-Royal Marine to book The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines Collingwood.
The band will be playing a range of classic military march sequences, including The Captain General and By Land and Sea as well as other songs such as You Raise Me Up and Amazing Grace.
Mr Newstead said: "I just thought it was the best way to get funds to support Charlie and equally to give people value for money."
Tickets for the concert are priced at 18 and 16.
For details about tickets, call the Royal & Derngate box office on Northampton 624811 or visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk.
Any donations to help fund Charlie's treatment can also be made by calling Kevin Austin on 07811 117468.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Woman’s body found after ‘suicide’ in Northampton hotel room
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Exclusive: PM David Cameron says Northamptonshire Police Commissioner role is “a big job for a big local figure”
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
