Thursday 4 June was a very special day for Kilcock’s Tara Lane of Centrepiece Rosettes and 2020 president of Network Ireland Kildare Branch. Tara not only celebrated her 50th birthday, but also shaved her head for BUMBLEance Childrens National Ambulance Service.

Tara is well known in equestrian circles having worked in Weatherbys Ireland, Juddmonte, Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital and is a current member of the rostrum team at Goffs.

BUMBLEance is the official Children’s National Ambulance Service of Ireland. It provides safe and comfortable transportation for Ireland’s youngest patients as they travel between their homes and hospitals, hospices, treatment centres, and respite centres nationwide.

The BUMBLEance service is the first of its kind in the world. It has all the amenities of a regular ambulance but it includes the all-important extras to make a sick child’s journey as safe, comfortable and entertaining as possible. Its aim is to distract, comfort and entertain Ireland’s youngest and most critically ill patients as they travel to and from hospitals and paediatric treatment centres nationwide.

BUMBLEance was founded in memory of Saoirse Heffernan who sadly passed away at five years of age in 2011. Saoirse, along with her brother Liam who passed in 2014, suffered from Batten disease. Saoirse was born on 4 June 2005 which was another reason for Tara to shave her head last Thursday.

BUMBLEance is the chosen charity of Network Ireland Kildare Branch this year. In normal circumstances, the Kildare branch would host a charity lunch in November to raise funds for their chosen charity. Tara wanted to make sure they were on top of their fundraising should the event not be able to go ahead in November.

Tara said: “We have raised over €235,000 since 2004 for various amazing charities and we are going to do our very best this year for BUMBLEance. I am actually blown away by the support from the equestrian and agricultural industry for this fundraiser. By Monday 8 June we had raised over €8,500 via our Facebook campaign, Tara’s Head Shave Fundraiser for BUMBLEance. I would really love to reach the €10,000 mark if possible.”

If you would like to donate , you can via tara’s facebook fundraiser page on facebook.com/donate/1158984521106164/ which will remain open until next Friday 19 June.

You can contact Tara Lane on 087-978 9318 if you would like to make a corporate donation.