Moneydig Flute Band raises an incredible £10,000 for Air Ambulance in memory of their young member Isaac Roxborough

14-year-old Isaac Roxborough, who had been a member of Moneydig Young Conquerors Flute Band since he was a young boy, died on June 26 this year.

The Air Ambulance had taken Isaac from Burnfoot to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and, for this reason, the band decided to raise funds for the AANI charity.

The band organised a 24-mile sponsored walk on October 12 from Ballyronan to Garvagh in memory of Isaac, raising an outstanding total of £10,000!

One of the organisers, Garie Grissam, said: “We wanted to do something to show our support to the Roxborough family, and to remember Isaac, not only as a member of the band, but as a friend and member of the Moneydig family.

"Safe to say the Moneydig Young Conquerors truly conquered the 24-mile walk and did Isaac proud. Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the event.”

Burnfoot Nearby Store, where Isaac’s mother Katrina was working the day she got the phone call to say that her son had been in an accident, raised an incredible total of £6,850.25 from their raffle, offering fantastic prizes including heating oil and coal donated by local companies.

Finally, the annual Alan Smyth Memorial Charity Quiz organised by the Smyth family on November 16 in the Third Tree RSC, Garvagh, was held in memory of Isaac. They raised an amazing £2,500 to add to the overall fundraising total for the Roxborough family.

In total, a phenomenal £50,650 for Air Ambulance NI has been raised in memory of Isaac Roxborough.

Katrina Hughes, Area Fundraising Manager for Air Ambulance NI, said “All of us here are simply in awe of the Roxborough family and wider communities and how they have rallied together to support the charity in Isaac’s memory.

"What everyone has achieved over the last number of months is a true testament to the local community, and such a fitting tribute to Isaac in such tragic circumstances. We are incredibly grateful to everyone involved in each of these events, thank you all for supporting Air Ambulance NI.”