Solihull based period-care business Lil-Lets recently partnered with Beauty Banks, a charity that seeks to address hygiene poverty in the UK.
In celebration of this partnership, on 30th November, Lil-Lets staff volunteered at Beauty Banks drop off points and delivered personal hygiene products to those in need.
Lil-Lets will be donating over 10,000 packs of period products to Beauty Banks to help those in need.
Spokesperson for Lil-Lets, Abby Smith, comments: “Lil-Lets purpose is to make a real difference to the lives of people with periods through education, innovation and care. We believe now more than ever that brands have a social and environmental responsibility and in order to live our values, we want to do better, now and in the future. The brilliant work that Beauty Banks do to remove barriers to good hygiene is something that resonates with our vision, and we are proud to be volunteering on 30th November.”
Sali Hughes, Co-Founder of Beauty Banks, adds: “As a charity that is committed to bringing change in the landscape of hygiene poverty we are grateful for Lil-Lets local community distribution support and generous donation. Beauty Banks relies on the kindness of businesses, brands and like-minded people to keep our running costs low and therefore our impact as meaningful as possible.”
Lil-Lets recently announced that they would cease to manufacture all plastic applicator tampons, saving 11 tonnes* of period waste from being thrown away each year. This announcement coincided with the launch of Lil-Lets reusable tampon applicator.
Additionally, Lil-Lets community giving initiatives also include donating period and maternity products to schools, charities and hospitals in the Midlands, including Baby Basics, Baby Aid, Birmingham Airport (for Afghan refugees), Birmingham and Liverpool hospitals – plus food banks across the UK.
Lil-Lets also partners with Brook and PHS to create free puberty education resources and teacher training materials for schools nationwide.
Businesses and volunteers interested in supporting Beauty Banks should get in touch via the Beauty Banks website (https://www.beautybanks.org.uk/)
Thai Leisure Group, alongside its customers, have raised an incredible £169,394 through menu donations and other fundraisers, with the proceeds going to Yorkshire cancer charity, Candlelighters.
The fundraising figure is the charity’s largest amount raised by one single provider and marks the start of an ongoing partnership for the two businesses.
Thai Leisure Group – which owns Thai cuisine restaurants including Chaophraya and Thaikhun – has raised the milestone amount by giving customers across its 13 restaurants in England the opportunity to pay an additional £1 on top of their bill.
Candlelighters supports children and their families from the devastating consequences of cancer, with donations contributing research projects, round the clock support and temporary accommodation for families.
Chris Salt, Partnerships Manager at Candlelighters, said: “The incredible amount raised by Thai Leisure Group and its patrons will make an immense difference to families and children affected by childhood cancer.
“We help families throughout their treatment, when staying in or visiting hospital, as well as out in communities throughout the region. The funds raised by Chaophraya and Thaikhun will help to ensure none of these families face a child’s cancer diagnosis alone, and will be instrumental in helping to fund crucial research which will help thousands of children across the UK and further afield.”
Ian Leigh, Managing Director at Thai Leisure Group, said: “We’re so grateful to everyone who has supported us with donations over the past year. Candlelighters is a charity that is close to our hearts and the incredible amount raised will make a huge difference to families and children affected by childhood cancer. After seeing first hand the full extent of support that Candlelighters offers cancer patients and their families, we wanted to create a longstanding partnership where we can contribute towards the amazing work the team are doing.”
Alongside their existing charity work, Thai Leisure Group has recently launched a new partnership with Manchester-based charity, Lifeshare, to raise money to support the homeless.
Abigail Noonan at Lifeshare, said: “We are so excited to be partnering with Thai Leisure Group in the Autumn Quarter. This support will have a huge positive impact on our service and help us to better provide for Manchester’s vulnerable populations.”
Ian adds: “At Thai Leisure Group, we are proud to support charities worldwide and dedicate each quarter to a different charity that the team feel passionate about. We’re excited to launch our next partnership with Lifeshare and do our bit to support those who are struggling financially and living on the streets.
“It’s been a tough couple of years for many people, and it’s important that, as a business, we do what we can to support our local community as much as we can.”
You can donate to Thai Leisure Group’s chosen charities through an optional menu donation at any of their Chaophraya, Thaikhun, Yee Rah or Chaobaby restaurants. For more information, visit www.thaileisuregroup.co.uk
WADWORTH managing director Toby Bartholomew says using its Christmas beer to support an appeal that helps keep elderly people warm in winter is an essential part of its support for the community.
The Devizes brewery’s festive Coconut Porter goes on sale in pubs this week with 5p from every pint sold going to Wiltshire Community Foundation’s Surviving Winter appeal.
The appeal, which has been running since 2010, will again be funding partners Age UK, Warm and Safe Wiltshire and both Swindon and Wiltshire Citizens Advice so they can provide grants of £200 and energy-saving or benefits advice to people in fuel poverty. Last year it raised £142,000 and helped more than 1,200 people pay fuel bills and save energy, as well as apply for other benefits.
Mr Bartholomew said: “We’ve supported the appeal historically and it’s something we’d love to carry on. I think it’s very important for us as a company that is involved in the community.
“Winter is tough for a lot of people in any case but particularly so after what everyone has been through over the last 18 months. We want to support the community where we can so this is a good opportunity for us to partner with an excellent charity.”
He said he has seen his pubs play an increasingly vital role in the community during the pandemic so views the support for the appeal as an extension of that. “During the pandemic that sense of charity has really shone through and some of our pubs have become food hubs and turned into little village shops,” he said.
“There are not many good things to come out of coronavirus but it has emphasised the need and the appreciation of the local pub to the community.
“We see supporting Surviving Winter as an essential part of helping the community. The beer will be available all over the Christmas period and it’s our chance to give a bit back to those people who support the pubs.”
Wiltshire Community Foundation joint chief executive Fiona Oliver said: “Wadworth has been a staunch supporter of the community foundation for many years and we are very thankful that the company continues to see the importance of this campaign.
“On average 300 people in Wiltshire and Swindon die of cold-related illness each winter because they are unable to keep their homes warm. That is just not acceptable in a civilised country and we are determined to do something to change that.”
Mr Bartholomew said the introduction of a porter, which is describes as a dark stout-like beer with a mellow coconut flavour, was the idea of head brewer Andy Weaver. “This is a bit niche you might say, it is definitely going to be a bit of a Marmite beer – people will either love it or hate it. It depends if you like coconut or not,” he said.
“We’ve always done a Christmas beer as well as Old Timer, which is a bit of a winter favourite so we’ve brought that back a little earlier this year. Coconut Porter is very different to our normal beers and we are excited to see how it goes.
“We’ve had good feedback so far. We hosted brewers from all over the country in Devizes last week and they were positive about it. We hope it will raise a lot of money for an excellent cause.”
He said the company’s application to build a new brewery at the former Selectabook site in Folly Road, Devizes, will herald more innovative beers. “The opportunity with the new brewery kit is huge in the different beers and different styles we can produce,” he said.
The community foundation is asking people who receive a government Winter Fuel Payment and feel they don’t need all or some of it to donate it to the appeal. “We have had wonderful support in recent years, particularly last year, so we are hoping that people will be just as generous this year,” said Mrs Oliver.
To donate to the appeal go to wiltshirecf.org.uk or call Wiltshire Community Foundation on 01380 729284. Or send a cheque, made payable to Wiltshire Community Foundation, to the address on the website.
A fifth-generation Prestatyn business has teamed up with a regional charity to make a difference to struggling families this Christmas.
Lyons Nant Hall, a Grade II listed 19th-century building which has been operating under the Lyons-Mounds family for the past decade, have partnered with North Wales Superkids for the second year running.
Cllr Tony Flynn presents the raffle prizes
The Superkids charity, founded by Margaret Williams MBE from Flint, has been committed to supporting families living on the breadline since 1994. Year-on-year, the charity has gone from strength to strength and this Christmas, Margaret plans to help around 1,500 children across Conwy, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham.
Following a successful career in social services, Margaret feared that the ‘toy box appeal’ which was operating in the late 1990s would come to an end soon after her retirement. From this moment, she vowed to help as many kids as possible and continues to do so by collecting brand new toys, sorting them into sacks, and distributing them to deserving families across the region.
Superkids relies on community support and liaises with agencies who work with deprived families – whether that’s social services, local authorities, healthcare services and even some schools. Margaret said: “Every situation is different, but the common denominator is they are in crisis. It can be benefits, a change of circumstances, perhaps someone has lost their job or been diagnosed with an illness and is not able to work – and our role is to provide smiles instead of tears on Christmas day.
This year, the Lyons group – who operate 14 holiday parks across North Wales and Cumbria – hope to spread the message of kindness and love from one family to the next.
Harriet Frobisher Cllr Sharon Frobisher Margaret Williams and Becky Williams
Joseph Lyons-Mound, one of the company directors, said: “We only jumped on board with this appeal in 2020 – and we wish we did it sooner. The work Margaret does is truly incredible and I don’t know how she does it. If there’s one thing we’ve all learnt over the past 18 months, it’s that no one should fight their battles alone. We feel privileged to help in any way we can, and this year, we’re proud to have hosted charity events and fundraisers for Superkids in the brand-new function room at Nant Hall.
“Our dedicated team at Lyons Mounds in Gronant have also been busy throughout the summer collecting toys and games on behalf of Superkids, so a huge thank you is in order to Christina and Mel for always having others in mind, even during our busiest peak season on record.”
Lyons Nant Hall, located on Prestatyn Road, will also be acting as a drop-off point for anyone wishing to donate brand-new toys to the charity, which will then be transported to the ‘Elves’ headquarters’ in Mold.
Zayneb Farhoud, events manager at the hotel and restaurant, said: “By opening our doors as a drop-off point for North Wales Superkids, we’re hopefully taking some of the pressure off the volunteers at the charity who are struggling to collect toys and gifts from the coastal end.
“We feel we’re the perfect venue to act as a drop-off point as we’re open 7 days a week. Locals wishing to donate toys or gifts are more than welcome to pop into Lyons Nant Hall on their morning commute from 8am, during their lunch break, or after work as we’re open until 10pm most nights.
“We’re privileged to have fundraised for Superkids with various events over the past few months, and we feel Margaret really should be commended for her unparalleled work.”
Beth Hughes, marketing and PR executive for the Lyons group, said the hunt is now on for any donations ahead of the Christmas boom. She said: “There’s so much work that goes into this each year, and Margaret and her elves could not work their Christmas magic without the support of the community. Each bag is specifically designed for a child, and each gift carefully selected to suit the age group, interests, and needs.
“Margaret expressed that this has been a particularly difficult year for the charity for reasons we can all understand and has said they are now ‘desperate’ for absolutely everything for ages 1-25 years-old.
“Christmas is a time for giving and spending time with loved ones for many, but we appreciate it isn’t a happy time for all. This is why we’ve decided to donate dozens of boxes of brand-new teddies from our amusement arcades at Lyons Robin Hood to the cause. If anyone is out shopping at Prestatyn retail park – which is less than a mile away from the Nant – or is ordering their shopping online this year, we urge you on behalf of Superkids to add one more toy to that list. It would make such a poignant difference to the lives of young children across North Wales who would otherwise go without presents this year.”
Margaret added: “We don’t ask people to buy expensive presents and don’t expect that. We’re looking for every day presents that you might give your child or grandchild – dolls, craft sets, footballs, annuals, books, cuddly toys, selection boxes, toiletry sets, CDs or DVDs. The donation deadline is 10th December, so please make sure you drop-off your items at Lyons Nant Hall before then.”
A junior rugby team is now playing in brand-new kit thanks to local housebuilder Bellway.
Kings Norton Rhinos Under 13s received a donation of £1,400 from the housebuilder – which is building new homes at The Oaks in Kings Norton – and the money funded new kit for the team to start the season.
The U13 Rhinos are part of Kings Norton RFC, which was founded almost 100 years ago and now has members aged from six upwards. The club is based at Hopwood Park, off Ash Lane, Hopwood.
Bellway West Midlands is building a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes at The Oaks, located off Parsons Hill, approximately four miles from the club’s ground.
Jake Morris, lead coach for the U13 Rhinos, said: “All the boys on the team are 12 years old from Kings Norton and surrounding areas, from different schools and backgrounds.
“I reached out to Bellway as I know they were building in the local area, and I felt it important that all the boys had a matching unified kit. We wanted to enable everyone to look the same, play as one and enjoy themselves, no matter their background.
“The boys were really excited when they got the kit and were inspired to come back and play rugby again after a turbulent year of cancelled training due to Covid restrictions.
“We are really pleased that Bellway was able to support us. It’s great to see a large housebuilder support the local community in which they build.”
The team is run by four coaches, including Jake, all of whom are volunteers and also have sons playing in the team.
There are 24 members of the U13 Rhinos and around 230 players in the Kings Norton RFC junior section. Each team is run entirely by volunteers.
Marie Richards, Sales Director of Bellway West Midlands, said: “We are pleased the team were happy with their new kits and excited to start the new season.
“It has been a rocky year for lots of young people involved in clubs such as this one, being unable to be involved in group activities due to Covid-19 restrictions. So we are happy these kits will enable them to come together and play as one again.
“Clubs like this one rely on funding and donations and are run entirely by volunteers, so we are glad to be able to show our support.”
Bellway is selling the final nine homes at The Oaks, where prices currently start at £257,500 for a two-bedroom house, with other three and four-bedroom properties also on the market.
A city foodbank charity which fed 35,000 people last year has been given a funding boost by a local housebuilder.
Coventry Foodbank, which has the largest foodbank warehouse in the country and gave out 280 tons of food last year, has been given £500 by Bellway’s South Midlands division, which has its regional headquarters in the city.
The foodbank, which was set up 10 years ago, is based at the Halo Centre in Progress Way. It provides a box of three days’ worth of food supplies and toiletries to people who are given food vouchers by a range of agencies including the city council, the NHS and Citizens Advice.
Hugh McNeill, project manager at Coventry Foodbank, said: “We are funded by public donations which provide us with the financing to ensure we can carry on providing food at our 12 foodbank centres in the city.
“This very generous donation from Bellway will give us a much-welcome boost after a very hard time for everyone. The public have continued to support us incredibly well during the pandemic but things have been tough.
“In 2019, we fed 28,000 people and last year we fed 35,000 people. Of that number, approximately 14,000 will be children under the age of 16.
“In the first few weeks of the pandemic, with people being furloughed and laid off, we saw a 100 per cent increase in people accessing our foodbanks. That demand eased off but we have been busier than ever.
“We will use the £500 to support our commercial kitchen project. We are setting up a kitchen in the warehouse so that we can train people with catering skills.
“While we train the people they will be making ready meals or soup for use at the foodbank. The idea is to furnish them with skills that can be used to help them gain employment.
“We very much see this sort of training programme, which will also include any tutoring people may need to gain maths or English skills, as the future role of foodbanks.
“Our ethos is that this foodbank should be a hand-up not a hand-out and the money from Bellway will help us provide that.”
Elaine Brown, Head of Sales at Bellway South Midlands, said: “The pandemic lockdown must have put an incredible strain on charities such as the Coventry Foodbank for many reasons.
“This is a brilliant charity that is funded by public donations which allow it to carry on its work and can literally be life-saving. Their food boxes help put food on the tables of thousands and thousands of men, women and children in Coventry every year.
“We are always pleased to support local charities who do such good work to support people and families and there is no doubt that Coventry Foodbank is at the forefront of reaching out and providing immediate and much-needed assistance and support to the local community.”
For more information about the charity visit coventry.foodbank.org.uk.
Bellway’s South Midlands division is currently based at Oak House, Binley Business Park, having recently relocated to new larger premises in the city.
The housebuilder is also building new homes at developments in Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire.
For more information about any of the developments visit bellway.co.uk.
CAPTIONS –
Jeané Izautenbach (left) from the Halo Centre, Coventry with Jess Bray (right) of Bellway South Midlands
A youth football team is all charged up for the new season after securing a sponsorship deal with one of the world’s leading battery manufacturers.
Leoch Battery UK Ltd has sponsored Glapwell FC U13s new kit for the 2021-2022 season having previously acted as one of the club’s associate sponsors in 2019.
The Market Harborough-based firm was put in touch with the Derbyshire club by one of its clients – Andrew Perry, of Power Saving Solutions (PSS), who also coaches the U13s side.
Leoch manager of sales Chris North explained: “We’re delighted to sponsor Glapwell FC U13s side and to see our logo displayed proudly on their kit.
“We were happy to help the team because we know how much it means to Andrew who is one of our most valued customers. We’ve worked with PSS for about a decade and it means a great deal to us that they choose us to supply the lithium battery units for their innovative Hussh Pod battery generators.
“We wish Andrew and Glapwell FC U13s all the best for the season.”
The team, which competes against some of the best performing youth teams from Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire in the Young Elizabethans League (YEL), has 14 players, including Andrew’s 12-year-old son Ellis who plays in goal.
Andrew said: “Everyone knows there’s a lot of money in football but sadly it doesn’t filter down to grassroots teams like ours.
“Not all parents can afford to pay for football kits for their children but it makes a massive difference to the players when they all compete in a matching kit – it brings them together and gives them a real sense of pride.
“When we came out of lockdown every one of our players came back because the team means so much to them and they had really missed it. The support we’ve received from Leoch means a great deal to our parents and players.
“It also means a great deal to all our coaches because it enables us to concentrate on coaching and organising the sessions without the added pressure of having to secure fundraising.”
Businesses are being urged to get involved with an initiative to help children who face spending Christmas in emergency accommodation after fleeing domestic violence.
The Buddy Bag Foundation is looking for teams to take part in the Challenge Box scheme, to help provide essentials and home comforts to children who often have to flee leaving everything behind.
Firms who want to take part should find 30 team members who will be given a shopping bag and list of items to buy. This can include pens and pencils, books, pyjamas, toothbrushes and other items.
A team-building exercise can then be arranged where members pack the items into 30 special Buddy Bag backpacks.
Children love receiving their Buddy Bags
The bags are then delivered to a local women’s refuge, providing support and comfort for children who often arrive with nothing of their own.
Karen Williams OBE, CEO and founder of the West Midlands-based Buddy Bag Foundation, said: “This is a great way for staff members to get together for a team-building exercise, especially now people are returning to workplaces.
“It also provides invaluable help and support to the thousands of children who are forced into emergency accommodation every year.
“We know these bags are appreciated and bring comfort to these children and that is needed more than ever at Christmas-time. We would love to get as many businesses as possible to sign up.”
The BBF, which has a new HQ in Minworth, near Sutton Coldfield, is also holding a fundraising Christmas Fair this month. Stalls will be selling a host of festive gifts and accessories including wine, flowers, crafts and clothing.
Midlands-based supported employment and training charity Landau, which assists thousands of individuals each year to secure training and sustainable jobs, has welcomed the Chancellor’s £3bn funding boost for skills and training.
Speaking after the Autumn budget announcement on Wednesday, Chief Executive of the charity Sonia Roberts, said: “We are particularly pleased to see an additional £550m being invested in adult skills to support those without any qualifications beyond GCSE level.
“We’re currently working with a growing number of people who are out of work and need additional training to secure employment, so we’re hoping this funding will support the upskilling of these individuals and contribute towards lowering unemployment levels across the region but as always, we are yet to see the small print of the proposed funding plans and exactly what it will mean.”
Mrs Roberts also cautiously welcomed the Government’s plans to increase wages for the lowest paid employees and apprentices.
“We very much welcome the Government’s decision to increase national wages. We work with a lot of people who are in poverty and would say these rises are long overdue.
“However, we won’t yet know whether the measures will be enough to cover the rising costs that many families are set to face with increasing household bills and daily expenditure or whether more needs to be done by the Government.”
Landau, which has its headquarters in Wellington, Shropshire, is a registered charity which has been delivering supported employment services to those with learning and physical disabilities, individuals with mental ill health, long term unemployed, and young people since 1995.
Helping thousands of people each year across Stoke, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Herefordshire, Landau is committed to empowering individuals through formal/informal learning for the benefit of the clients and the wider community.
It became a Centre of Excellence in 2020 for its IPS service for those with enduring mental health problems and was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for promoting opportunity through social mobility earlier this year.
Three of Northamptonshire’s best-loved charities have been named as finalists in this year’s hotly anticipated Northamptonshire Business Awards.
The three shortlisted finalists in the prestigious awards’ new Charity of the Year category are Cynthia Spencer Hospice, The Salvation Army and Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust.
Event organisers, Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, launched the category this year to recognise the incredible contribution charities make to the county.
A video about each charity will be shown at the glittering awards night in November to help the hundreds of Northamptonshire businesses in attendance to choose the winner during a live vote.
Northamptonshire Chamber deputy chief executive Julie MacLennan said: “We felt it was important to recognise the tremendous activities of local charities and the introduction of our Charity of the Year Award has enabled us to put the spotlight firmly on them.
“I’d like to congratulate our three worthy finalists and thank them for all the hours of tireless work they put in to support our community.
“We cannot wait to celebrate with them and their volunteers at our awards ceremony in November.”
Cynthia Spencer Hospice provides specialist palliative care services for South Northamptonshire, including inpatient care, outpatient services, wellbeing services, Hospice@Home, lymphoedema service, and paliative care clinical nurse specialist service. The hospice has two specialist consultants in palliative medicine, a team of doctors and specialist nurses who work within the hospice and in the community as well as at Northampton General Hospital and Danetre Hospital in Daventry.
The Salvation Army’s trading arm, SATCOL, is based in Northamptonshire, with a support centre in Wellingborough and two donation processing centres, as well as several charity shops. During the pandemic it distributed PPE to frontline workers and recently stored and delivered donations for the Afghan refugee appeal. It also raises funds for The Salvation Army and its work supporting vulnerable people in the UK. In the past decade it has raised over £76m.
Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust (DAPT) works tirelessly on behalf of Northampton’s historic Delapré Abbey. The Trust is working hard to design ways to celebrate the venue’s 900-year history, to engage and support the local community, and promote the proven benefits that heritage and green spaces can have on wellbeing. DAPT is committed to increasing access to heritage and recently gifted 7,563 annual passes to households in the local community, provided weekly food donations to Food Aid and supported other charities.
The winner will be revealed at the awards night on Thursday, 11 November, at the Park Inn by Radisson in Northampton.
