On Friday 30th August, the small village of Burnfoot just outside Dungiven, welcomed an incredible display of almost 200 tractors to raise vital funds for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland with a tractor run, and family fun evening. Air Ambulance Northern Ireland work in partnership with Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) across the region.
The event was organised by Burnfoot Community Hub, in memory of Isaac Roxborough, who tragically lost his life as a result of a quad bike accident on 26th June 2024. The HEMS team were tasked and worked alongside their NIAS colleagues to provide Isaac with the best emergency critical care both at the scene and during transfer to the Royal Victoria Hospital, but unfortunately Isaac didn’t make it.
The entire Burnfoot community rallied together to support the Roxborough family during this incredibly difficult time, and a committee from the local Community Hub began organising a Tractor Run in memory of Isaac – a fitting tribute for a young boy with a passion for tractors and farming. The wider community came together to bring as many tractors as possible to the run, to pay tribute to Isaac and show their support for the entire Roxborough family. The evening offered a range of family friendly activities, live music entertainment, a fantastic BBQ and an incredible raffle and auction with a huge selection of prizes very generously donated from local businesses and individuals.
Isaac lived in Burnfoot with his mum & dad & brothers Adam (18) and James (7). He had a love of farming from a very early age and a keen interest in tractors, owning three of his own. A very happy and cheerful boy with a great sense of humour, he is sadly missed by his family and all who knew him. The tractor run provided an opportunity for Isaacs love of tractors and farming to be remembered and the support from all the surrounding communities was so very much appreciated by his family.
One of the organisers from the community hub, Carolyn, said “We’re absolutely delighted with the success of the first Isaac Roxborough Memorial Tractor run and the £32,605 raised for the amazing Air Ambulance NI. These events wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering generosity of our local community and the incredible efforts of everyone who took part, and we would like to thank everyone involved.”
The Roxborough family are extremely grateful to Air Ambulance Northern Ireland for the care they provided to Isaac and it has brought much comfort to the family knowing that the money raised will go towards lifesaving care for others.
Air Ambulance NI, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, is the vital lifeline providing the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service for Northern Ireland. This essential service offers urgent medical assistance to critically ill or injured patients. The service operates seven days a week for 12 hours per day and the aircraft can reach anywhere in Northern Ireland in approximately twenty-five minutes. On average, the doctor and paramedic team are tasked twice a day, responding to serious incidents such as road traffic collisions, workplace accidents, and medical emergencies, and it takes almost £7,000 per day to maintain the service.
Katrina Hughes, Area Fundraising Manager for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland spoke about the event, “We are so overwhelmed by the generosity, dedication and most of all the community spirit of Burnfoot. In such tragic circumstances, everybody here has come together to lean on each other and provide support to the Roxborough family, all while at the same time planning the fantastic tractor run which has had phenomenal success, and really is a beautiful tribute to Isaac, celebrating his love for farming and tractors and we’re honoured to have been part of it.”
To learn more about how you can contribute to Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, please contact the team at 028 9262 2677 or via email at info@airambulanceni.org.
