29th October 2008 - Kelly Preston Hosts Sussex Charity Concert

£50,000 presented to Sussex Air Ambulance on behalf of the L. Ron Hubbard Foundation and the Church of Scientology

Fred Van Damme, Nigel Raghunath, John Battersby, Cllr Christine Mainstone (East Grinstead), Delaine Shearman, David Philpott, Kelly Preston, Bob Keenan

East Grinstead: Hollywood actress Kelly Preston presented a cheque for £50,000 to Sussex Air Ambulance on behalf of the L. Ron Hubbard Foundation and the Church of Scientology at the 12th annual Gala Charity Concert at Saint Hill, East Grinstead.

More than 1,500 were in attendance to enjoy the concert and give their support, including Mayors, District Council Chairmen, Town Councillors, and community leaders from all over the South of England. Representatives from a wide variety of embassies attended, including from Cameroon, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Fiji, South Africa, and Liberia. Other guests flew in especially from all over Europe and as far away as the United States and Canada.

The event covered a wide spectrum of music – from rock legend Edgar Winter, Academy Award nominated film composer Mark Isham and Australian pop superstar Kate Ceberano, to “Italian Queen of Jazz” Elena Roggero, drummer Woody Woodmansey (best known for his years with David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars), and the UK’s top jive band – the Jive Aces. Ms. Preston was the Master of Ceremonies.

Edgar Winter with the Golden Era Musicians

The Sussex Air Ambulance Service is a registered charity which provides Helicopter Emergency Medical Service and air ambulance service to Sussex, Kent and Surrey counties. Attending an average of four incidents every day, Sussex Air Ambulance is funded entirely by voluntary donations and provides a team of highly skilled doctors, paramedics and nurses. Responding swiftly to 999 calls and flying at over 150 miles per hour, the Ambulance can reach any part of Sussex within 15 minutes and can transport patients to the nearest major hospital or specialist unit in a fraction of the time taken by land ambulance.

The Chief Executive Mr. Dave Philpott and Sussex Air Ambulance staff and crew, were invited up on to the stage to accept the cheque from Ms Preston and Mr. Bob Keenan, Director of the L. Ron Hubbard Foundation. The money raised will go towards the many hundreds of life-saving missions carried out by the Sussex Air Ambulance team every year. "That will enable us to save 50 lives, so you should all be proud of yourselves," said Delaine Shearman, Sussex County Fundraiser for the charity. David Philpott, Chief Executive, on accepting the cheque, told the audience what a vital service Sussex Air Ambulance offers in that they can reach any part of Sussex within 15 minutes.

Grand finale: Sussex Air Ambulance crew, Mark Isham, Jive Aces,
Edgar Winter, Elena Roggero, Kate Ceberano, Woody Woodmansey,
Swing Xtreme dancers and the Golden Era Musicians

Over the years, the Saint Hill Gala Charity Concert has supported numerous charities, from the Royal National Lifeboat Institute and the RSPCA to the National Drug Prevention Alliance and the Bluebell Railway Trust. The concert follows the tradition that was started by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1960’s when he resided at Saint Hill Manor and supported many of the local charities.

The Gala Concert concluded a three-day jam-packed weekend of activities at the Church of Scientology with over 7,000 people from around the world, with conferences and seminars for parishioners and community leaders alike, encompassing the Church of Scientology’s social betterment programmes in the areas of human rights, drug education, common sense morals, and its volunteer ministry.

For more information, please contact:

Graeme Wilson
Public Affairs Director
Church of Scientology
Saint Hill Manor
East Grinstead
West Sussex
RH19 4JY

01342 318229