Steve - pounds the opposition and helps them win the Parliamentary Pancake Race

Ealing North MP, Steve Pound, helped batter the opposition at the 15th annual Rehab Group Parliamentary Pancake Race.

The charitable event, which took place at Victoria Tower Gardens on Tuesday (21st Feb) in front of a bumper crowd of spectators, saw cross-party representation on teams of MPs and Lords, who along with a team from the Parliamentary Press Gallery, competed in an exciting relay pancake race.

The event raises valuable funds and awareness of the work undertaken by Rehab, a registered charity, which transforms the lives of people with disabilities and others who are marginalised by enabling them to become more active and independent, play a fuller part in their communities and maximise their potential. Additionally, the charity also supports people who are looking to gain employment through a range of social enterprise and community rehabilitation initiatives.

Despite the cool weather, the race quickly became heated, as decorum was put to one side with the MPs, Lords and media teams showing their competitive spirit as they battled for supremacy in this, the mother of all pancake races. Celebrating the MPs team along with Steve Pound were Tracey Crouch (Chatham & Aylesford), Julian Huppert (Cambridge), Ian Murray (Edinburgh South), Sir Bob Russell (Colchester), Martin Horwood (Cheltenham), Stephen Lloyd (Eastbourne) and Jason McCartney (Colne Valley).

Speaking after the race, Stephen Pound MP said: “It was definitely a hard-won race. The conditions were tough and our fellow competitors certainly put in a good fight. I was delighted to have been invited to take part in this wonderful event. The work that Rehab does to support disabled people and others at a disadvantage is fantastic and this race was a great opportunity to raise awareness of how we can all support those who are most vulnerable in our society.

The annual Rehab Parliamentary Pancake Race was established fifteen years ago to raise awareness of the work undertaken by Rehab. Angela Kerins, Chief Executive of Rehab, said: “It was certainly a great victory for the MPs team – clearly the upcoming Olympic Games have given an extra competitive edge this year! I would like to congratulate the MPs on their win, but I would also like to thank everyone for taking the time to take part. Thanks to the support of the MPs, Lords and journalists we can continue to make a real difference to the lives of people through our range of innovative and high-quality health and social care, training, education, and employment services.”

For more information about the Rehab Parliamentary Pancake Race 2012, please see www.parliamentarypancakerace.co.uk

23rd February 2012