The 40th Anniversary Awards Evening of The Sick Children’s Trust, took place on Thursday (22 September), with the iconic Lloyds Building in the City of London providing the perfect stage for an event filled with pride and emotion.
The Awards Evening served as a celebration of the individuals, families, companies, and organisations that have gone above and beyond in support of the charity that offers a comfortable place to stay and a friendly ear to listen in one of their ten ‘Homes from Home’.
Michael Crawford, Ronni Ancona, Tim Downie, Emelia Fox and Christina Johnston
The ceremony was attended by numerous high-profile guests including stage and screen legend Michael Crawford CBE, who has been our President for over 30 years. Silent Witness star Emilia Fox, singer Christina Johnston, actress and comedian Ronni Ancona and TV presenter Jen Pringle were all in attendance, with actor and writer Tim Downie hosting the occasion.
Ian Bowyer and eldest daughter Lydia.
A total of six awards were presented on the evening, the first of which saw the Inspirational Family Award, sponsored by AXA Insurance and voted for by the public, going to the Bowyer family. Dad Ian Bowyer has been raising both money and awareness of The Sick Children’s Trust since 2009, when his family were supported while daughter Evie needed specialist treatment for a rare genetic condition. Ian Bowyer has described his family’s relationship with, and appreciation of, the charity as being ‘life-long’.
Henry & Arthur Lindsay and shortlisted nominee Imogen Haslam share the stage with Jen Pringle
The Inspirational Young Person Award, sponsored by Partridges, was presented to Henry and Arthur Lindsay, who have been raising funds and awareness of the charity after their parents, dad Alex and mum Sam, were supported when Henry was born 13 weeks early. Through their walks and cycling, ten-year-old Henry and Arthur, nine, have raised thousands of pounds for the charity, with dad Alex also a keen fundraiser.
Robin Beaumont with his award.
The Outstanding Group, Partner, or Team Award, sponsored by Guy Carpenter, went to Beaumont & Brown, who since 2015 have donated over £80,000 worth of high-quality bed linen to the charity’s ‘Homes from Home’ so families can have a comfortable night’s sleep. Director Robin Beaumont said that he will continue to support The Sick Children’s Trust for as long as he is still in the industry.
The Outstanding Supporter Award, sponsored by Rare & Fine Wine Co Ltd, was presented to David Plane, who has tirelessly supported the charity by completing various endurance challenges. His passion and enthusiasm have seen David, who stayed in the charity’s Stevenson House ‘Home from Home’ while son Brody was receiving treatment at the Royal London Hospital, raise over £30,000 over the past six years.
Stephen and Maxine Farish with Andrew Leadbitter, manager of our Crawford House ‘Home from Home’
The Sue Cartwright Award, which recognises a supporter or family that has shown outstanding bravery in their efforts to raise awareness, was presented to Maxine and Stephen Farish. Maxine and Stephen stayed with the charity on multiple occasions while their daughter Jodie Vasquez underwent treatment from the age of 15. Before she sadly passed away in 2019, Jodie dedicated much of her time to fundraising for the charity’s Crawford House ‘Home from Home’, with the family having raised over £30,000. The Award was named in honour of Sue Cartwright, a deeply committed member of staff from the charity who sadly lost her five-year battle with cancer in 2021. The award was presented by Sue’s son Russ and husband Graham.
The Cambridge Fundraising Committee joined by Michael Crawford, Emilia Fox, Tim Downie and Ronni Ancona
The final prize of the evening was the Special Recognition Award, which was both sponsored and presented by Michael Crawford CBE. The award was given to Cambridge Fundraising Committee in recognition of their incredible fundraising efforts, having raised over £920,000 since 2000 thanks to countless events held over the past two decades. They are big supporters of the charity’s two ‘Homes from Home’ in Cambridge, and even managed to raise over £60,000 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Reflecting on the evening, Jane Featherstone, Chief Executive of The Sick Children’s Trust, said:
“It has been wonderful to see so many of the people who deeply care about The Sick Children’s Trust all gathered together, from families that we have supported to the fundraisers, donors, celebrities, trustees, staff and all those who dedicate so much of their time and efforts to raise awareness and funds to keep our ‘Homes from Home’ up and running.
“Our 40th Anniversary is a very special milestone for us, one that celebrates having supported over 73,000 families since our creation in 1982. It has been a fabulous evening packed with emotion, and I congratulate not only the winners of each category but all the nominees shortlisted for each award and thank every one of them for being here to celebrate this very special occasion. I also offer a huge thanks to all our sponsors, without whose support this event would not have been possible.”
The Sick Children’s Trust’s 40th Anniversary Awards Evening
Winners and shortlisted nominees
Inspirational Family Award – Sponsored by AXA
Winner: Ian Bowyer & Family
Shortlisted nominees:
The Hicks Family: Graham and Kelly Hicks have been shortlisted due to their tireless efforts to raise both funds and awareness of The Sick Children’s Trust after they tragically lost their daughter Olivia.
The Picken Family: Despite the grief of losing their precious daughter Seren, both Katie and Ian threw themselves into fundraising initiatives, one of which was a walk attended by over 100 people.
The Rees Family: John and Louise came to Guilford Street House in September 2020, when their 4-year-old daughter Dottie was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour. Dottie is now six and John and Louise continue to support the charity.
The Robinson Family: Emma and Simon have supported The Sick Children’s Trust for over a decade, after staying with us when their son Jasper was born prematurely. Tragically, Jasper passed away, but Emma and Simon have remained passionate, committed and hugely successful fundraisers for the charity ever since.
Inspirational Young Person Award – Sponsored by Partridges
Winner: Henry & Arthur Lindsay
Shortlisted nominees:
Imogen Haslam: In March 2022 eight-year-old Imogen took on the famed Three Peaks challenge to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust. Not only has Imogen completed an epic challenge for her age, but she has also raised awareness of her amazing fundraising efforts by sharing her story in the media.
Emma Stephenson: Emma has been supporting us since 2019 when she undertook a 10km walk with her mum. To achieve her charity badge for Brownies, Emma chose to support The Sick Children’s Trust when undertaking her challenges.
Outstanding Partner / Group or Team Award – Sponsored by Guy Carpenter
Winner: Beaumont & Brown
Shortlisted nominees:
Books for Good Causes: For over eight years, a group of volunteers led by Jill Ashton called Books For Good causes has been raising money for us through selling unloved books. With online sales and regular stalls in hospitals, shopping centres and even outside summer caravans, the book elves have managed to raise approximately £600 each year for The Sick Children’s Trust, and last Christmas they presented Magnolia and Treetop Houses with a cheque for £1,000.
Weil London: In December 2015, Weil London, embarked on a two-year partnership with The Sick Children’s Trust. The charity was the first organisation chosen for Weil’s Charity of the Year programme. The partnership was such a success it won the ‘Charity Business Award Legal’ in 2017. Since the initial partnership ended, Weil employees have continued to volunteer and provide valuable pro bono support to us.
Outstanding Supporter Award – Sponsored by The Rare & Fine Wine Company
Winner: David Plane
Shortlisted nominees:
Roger and Janet Howard: For the last seven years Roger and Janet have been supporting our Cambridge ‘Homes from Home’ by selling jars of different pickles that they have hand made themselves. They also donated goods to the houses and have raised over £5,000.
Jackie Steventon: One of the charity’s longest serving and most highly revered supporter, Jackie has been with us for the vast majority of our 40-year existence. As well as personally fundraising, Jackie joined our trustee board and became chair of the Norfolk Regional Committee. Jackie remains a regular giver, donating to us each month.
Sue Cartwright Award
Winner: Jodie Vasquez, Maxine and Stephen Farish
Shortlisted nominees
The Wood Family: One of the first families to stay with The Sick Children’s Trust, Sheila and Alex Wood have not only been regular donors ever since but have also made a huge impact in raising awareness. The family have raised over £6,600 pounds through their own donations, but the reach of their story over the past four decades has without question generated many thousands more from family, friends and the wider public.
The Leverton Family: Ever since their stay at Treetop House while son Harry was receiving treatment at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Marcus and Laura Leverton have been wonderful supporters of The Sick Children’s Trust and have raised more than £264,000 through hosting their bi-annual Leverton Ball fundraiser.
Special Recognition Award – Sponsored by Michael Crawford CBE
Cambridge Fundraising Committee