Leicestershire Cares held their Spring Champion’s Lunch on Tuesday 5th March – and this year we were generously hosted by Nylacast at their headquarters. The Champion’s Lunches are a chance for us to recognise our Champions for their outstanding contributions to our projects – to celebrate the individuals who make a difference to us and to their communities.
After a delicious lunch supplied by our friends at Nylacast the event kicked off with a warm welcome from our CEO Kieran, moving on to our Golden Hearts. We had seven of these to award to our Champions that really stood out with their engagement
- Suzanne Newport from Cambridge & Counties Bank, for her support of the Education Project and for inspiring her colleagues to volunteer for the Interview Technique sessions
- Carla Loughrey, Tracey Ingram and Denise Bradshaw from Hinkley & Rugby Building Society, for their support for the Youth Justice Project and for the valuable Budgeting Workshop they designed and delivered to our young people
- Tina Siena-Tomlinson from Thermo Fisher Scientific, for her support of the Community Development Team during the festive season and especially for all of her amazing knitting
- Luke Joinson from Walkers, for his support of the Community Development Team during the festive season
- John Neat from Walkers & Son, for his support of the Powering Up Project and their weekly football sessions
Our Star Champion was awarded to Jenny Hailes from Everards. She was a unanimous choice from everyone at Leicestershire Cares for her support across all projects.
We then followed on to project updates, encouraging our Champions to get involved in some of our new ideas and work. The Community Development team then gave a talk on Team Challenges, and how they offer our business members a chance to bring their team together in a spirit of camaraderie and collaboration, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose while supporting local community groups at the same time. A Secret Skills Workshop added a fun and interactive element to the event, allowing participants to uncover hidden talents and learn from one another.
It was a wonderful surprise and honour to win the star champion award, it’s great that we at Everards are able to get involved in so many projects with Leicestershire Cares, and help the local community
Star Champion, Jenny Hailes from Everards
Our guest speaker Danielle Young, last winner of the Star Champion award, shared invaluable champion tips, inspiring the group with her wisdom and experience. The event also showcased the incredible work of RefurbIT, an enterprising project from Reaching People, which links together unused technical devises with those who are in need. https://www.reachingpeople.co.uk/our-projects/refurb-it/
The afternoon highlighted the importance of community engagement and empowerment, ensuring that the spirit of giving and compassion continues to thrive in the days ahead. The celebration event by Leicestershire Cares was a true testament to the power of collaboration and generosity in creating a better world for all.