Raffle To Raise Funds For We Love Lichfield

We are proud supporters of We Love Lichfield, a local community fund that raises money throughout the year and then gives away grants twice a year to good causes across Lichfield District.

Our CEO Simon Price is patron of We Love Lichfield and he is passionate about the organisation.

Until the end of March we are raising funds via a raffle. One lucky person is going to win £750 worth of goodies. We want as many people to buy a ticket, only a £1! Please share to as many people as you can and pop in to buy a ticket.

For more information visit www.welovelichfield.com

Raffle To Raise Funds For We Love Lichfield

We are proud supporters of We Love Lichfield, a local community fund that raises money throughout the year and then gives away grants twice a year to good causes across Lichfield District.

Our CEO Simon Price is patron of We Love Lichfield and he is passionate about the organisation.

Until the end of March we are raising funds via a raffle. One lucky person is going to win £750 worth of goodies. We want as many people to buy a ticket, only a £1! Please share to as many people as you can and pop in to buy a ticket.

For more information visit www.welovelichfield.com

Arthur Price On The TV With David Dickinson Talking Titanic

Two family-owned Lichfield businesses have appeared on the same episode of one of Britain’s most-watched television programmes. The 19th series of Dickinson’s Real Deal is currently being broadcast on ITV1.

The episode which aired on Friday, January 19, featured auction scenes with Richard Winterton at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Fradley, and celebrity antiques expert David ‘The Duke’ Dickinson talking to Simon Price, CEO of cutlery manufacturer Arthur Price.

Simon visited the Fradley Park saleroom because of a personal connection with one of the lots featured on the programme – a Titanic souvenir signed by Millvena Dean, the last living survivor of the sinking and, at two months old, the youngest passenger onboard.

Founded in 1902, Arthur Price supplied cutlery for the White Line, Titanic’s owner. Arthur Price cutlery has been found in the wreck and been verified by deep-sea explorers.

Arthur Price produced a limited edition silver-plated spoons modelled from the original die on the pattern used on the Captain’s table.

Number 1 of 89, bearing Millvena Dean’s signature on the bowl of the spoon, and commemorating her 89th birthday in 2001, was brought to a Dealer Day at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull in May last year by Tom Reeves.

Tom’s framed spoon included a certificate with a personalised inscription – “To Tom and Gail, with every good wish from Millvena Dean, youngest survivor of the Titanic” – dated September 19, 2001.

Dealer Fay Rutter offered £80 but Tom opted for the experience of auction, with David Dickinson adding: “I think they’ve got something here that just titillates the public imagination. I think it’s desirable.”

By a quirk of fate, Tom worked for Simon’s grandfather Frederick Price at Parkfield Rolling Mills in Saltley, Birmingham, a manufacturing firm used to produce Arthur Price cutlery. When Richard Winterton found out about the connection, he invited Simon to meet Tom and watch the auction together.

Tom said on TV to David Dickinson, “I used to work for the company that supplied all the cutlery for the Titanic. The spoon is made from the genuine dies that made the cutlery originally in 1912.

He added: “I acquired replica newspaper articles over a period of time to put with it along with a copy of the posters that they had at the shipyard in Belfast before Titanic came to Southampton.”

Dealer Fay Rutter offered £80 but Tom opted for the experience of auction, with David Dickinson adding: “I think they’ve got something here that just titillates the public imagination. I think it’s desirable.”

Fast forward to the auction day in June 2023 and Simon was interviewed onscreen by ‘The Duke’ discussing the Titanic cutlery and a letter from an explorer who in a submersible visited the wreck at the bottom of Atlantic Ocean, and recognised the Arthur Price cutlery in the ship’s copper dishwasher tanks.

Going under the hammer with Richard Winterton, Tom’s lot sold well at auction and he took home £82 to put towards a holiday – definitely the Real Deal.

Simon said: “It was tremendous fun going along to the auction and meeting David, and it was a fantastic surprise to meet Tom, who worked for my grandfather.

“It was also a special moment being able to share the story of Arthur Price’s involvement with the Titanic on TV.”

David Dickinson also signed the We Love Lichfield celebrity shirt of which Simon is the patron. The Community Fund which raising and distributes grants across Lichfield District hopes to auction the t-shirt, which has over 40 signatures, to raise further funds in the future.

Simon said, “My thanks to David for taking the time to sign our We Love Lichfield charity shirt. He wanted to know more about the work the fund does and the people it helps. By signing the t-shirt, he adds to the amazing list of celebrities who have put their name to the fund, and in doing so helping others.”

Richard Winterton added: “I have known Simon for many years and when Tom came to the Dealer Day with his history linked to Arthur Price, it was a perfect connection and so I had to invite Simon along to meet him.

“Not only are our firms Lichfield companies each more than 100 years old, we are both committed supporters of We Love Lichfield and I also wish to say a big thank you to David Dickinson for his kind support.”

For more information on We Love Lichfield, visit www.welovelichfield.com.

For further information on Arthur Price Titanic replica cutlery visit: www.arthurprice.com/collections/titanic-luxury-cutlery

Series 19 episode six of Dickinson’s Real Deal, ‘Solihull 2’, can be viewed on demand at www.itv.com/watch/dickinsons-real-deal/33248/1a8665a1082.

Full Of Christmas Cheer

Christmas came early for good causes across the district after We Love Lichfield donated thousands of pounds in grants at its special festive presentation. The charity, which supports voluntary groups making a difference in our communities, invited recipients, civic leaders, businesses and other guests to the event in Lichfield’s George Hotel last Friday (December 13). Thirteen voluntary groups received grants in front of a packed room of people who immediately got into the Christmas spirit courtesy of carol signing by the Lichfield Friary School Choir Shout it Out.

At the start the Patron of We Love Lichfield and CEO of Arthur Price Simon Price asked all the fund’s advisors to stand up and receive applause from the room. He said: “I stand up here and talk to you about the fund but there are lots of other people who work in their own time to make We Love Lichfield work for our community.  Please applaud the team of Terry Turner, John Heeler, Carrie Jahn, Susan Bamford, Tim Matthews, Chris Spruce, Adrian Viles, Tim Munton and Robert Yardley. Specific thanks go Mark Santy of the George Hotel for hosting, Julian Fisher for organising this event and I also welcome new advisors including Keith Eagland, Joanna Churton and Kath Jukes.”

 

Simon then spoke of the work of We Love Lichfield and how as a nation we owe so much to the wonderful work of volunteers and how humbling it is to help in a small way.  He then announced to the 100+ strong room of guests that the Fund has given away grants now on average every 10 days since it started.  After more applause, he invited all the organisations who were there to receive grants to talk about themselves and their contribution to the district.  Organisations receiving grants included: City of Lichfield Friends, King George V Memorial Scouts and Guides, Kendall and Wall Charitable Trust, Friends 2 Friends, The Lichfield Trishaw Project, Diocesan Digest Sound Magazine of Lichfield Cathedral, Clifton Campville Village Hall, Midlands Soccer Academy, Lichfield and District Talking News, Lichfield Re:Cycle, Cogs Prepares 4 Life, Curborough Community Association and Lichfield Society of Arts.

 

In addition to their grants, the organisations received goody bags from local businesses. The bags are given to the volunteers themselves as a small thank you for giving up their own to help others. There were gifts inside the bags from Arthur Price, The George Hotel, the Wolverhampton Grand and David Lloyd Leisure.

 

And in the middle of the presentation a previous grant recipient spoke of their work and how We Love Lichfield had helped them. Step O’Shea of Spark in Burntwood thanked everyone for their support and received a round of applause for the centre’s work in Burntwood and the surrounding area.

 

The finale of the presentation was a surprise appearance by celebrity and actor Su Pollard to present a special prize.  Currently starring in the Dick Whittington panto at the Wolverhampton Grand, Su shouted “hi-de-hi” to the audience who of course responded “ho-de-ho”.  Su was the special surprise guest to present a brand-new award – The We Love Lichfield Business Community Champion.  Created to celebrate businesses who support the fund through donations and publicity, the inaugural award went to Richard Winterton of Richard Winterton Auctioneers who have so far raised over £5000.  A stunned Richard was welcome onto the stage and presented with an engraved silver salver by Su.

He said: “The We Love Lichfield Christmas giveaway is always an inspiring event which highlights such a diverse range of stories from groups across our district. I feel passionately about the fund and its continuous work to help and support so many wonderful local charities and volunteers. It is already a pleasure and a privilege to be involved so to be named We Love Lichfield fundraising champion 2019 is the absolute icing on the cake – as well as a huge surprise! It is an incredible honour which left me completely choked and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone at We Love Lichfield. I’d also like to pay tribute to all those members of the fund who work so hard throughout the year ensuring the continuation of this vital support for our communities.”

 

Su said: “I’m delighted to present this award and to meet so many people and organisations who support We Love Lichfield.  I’m also in awe of all the volunteers who We Love Lichfield support and who do so much good. I thank you all.”

 

Many businesses across the district presented cheques to the fund on the day including The George Hotel – £1400, Richard Winterton £980, Lichfield Cricket Club £3000 and Poppins Nursery £250 which were all gratefully received.

 

We Love Lichfield is a local fund that provides small grants to a wide range of projects based in Lichfield District. The fund considers all applications from local groups in need twice a year.  Companies and individuals are welcome to donate or fund-raise and all money is invested through a permanent endowment fund by registered charity The Community Foundation for Staffordshire on behalf of We Love Lichfield in line with charity commission guidelines. The interest and dividends earned on the invested money is then distributed by the Fund as small grants across the district. The beauty of this model is that it will provide a source of on-going funding that can be used for small grants, and larger grants as the fund grows, for many years to come. The aim is by 2023 to have created enough capital to give away £50K every year for ever. For more details and to make a donation to the fund, please visit www.welovelichfield.com

Richard Winterton Raise £1K for We Love Lichfield and £500 For St Marys

Can we say a massive thanks to Richard Winterton Auctioneers who raised £1000 for We Love Lichfield and £500 for the Guild of St Mary’s courtesy of some special lots at their Watch & Designer Sale on Monday, 15 July.

 

The sale had three charity lots – a 2019 ICC World Cup England jersey, fully signed by the England team at Edgbaston before the semi-final against Australia; a cricket bat signed by cricketer Graeme Swann and sports broadcaster Pat Murphy; and a limited edition RAF Red Arrows 2019 artwork signed by ‘Red 1’ through to ‘Red 10’ and the aerobatic team’s commanders, donated by Michael Mullarkey and Michael’s Menswear.

 

These resulted in a total of £500 for the We Love Lichfield fund.

 

A percentage from the entire auction is also to be donated to We Love Lichfield, with a matched amount going to The Guild Of St Mary’s – £500 each.

 

In the past year, Richard Winterton Auctioneers has already raised more than £3,000 for We Love Lichfield. The latest amount sees the family firm well on the way to the £5,000 milestone.

 

Introducing the auction, We Love Lichfield patron Simon Price said the fund is ‘giving money back to our community’.

“Volunteers are wonderful people,” he said. “Lichfield is full of volunteers and you don’t realise how wonderful these people are until you actually meet them. Lichfield is getting bigger, funding is getting smaller and the pressure on voluntary groups is just growing and growing and growing. We raise money, we invest money and we give that money back. It’s like a pension fund for the future – the pot never gets smaller.

 

“We aim to give £50,000 a year away and [since the fund started] already we have helped 154 different voluntary organisations in the district of Lichfield. By Christmas 2019 we will have given back to our own community £200,000. But we do need to do more – it’s about helping our own community, our own people.”

 

Richard Winterton said: “We Love Lichfield is such an important fund which helps so many small local voluntary-run clubs and projects which so often provide an absolute lifeline in their community. It is a real privilege to be involved in this wonderful organisation and we are delighted to have been able to help.”

 

Love Is In The Air Thanks To We Love Lichfield

The value of district charity We Love Lichfield to our young people was displayed at its summer giveaway at The George Hotel last Friday (June 27) with Arthur Price CEO hosting the event as patron of the Fund

Paralympic hopeful Chelsey Dixon was presented with £1,000 to help her buy a training boat. The 22-year-old is one of Britain’s best para-canoeists and has been selected for the Team GB squad and aims to represent her country in next year’s Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Chelsey told fellow recipients, guests and patrons of We Love Lichfield of her terminal cancer diagnosis at the age of 14, how a massive tumour had to be removed from her right thigh, further tumours had to be removed from her brain and lungs and how she was told her dreams of  a sporting career were over.

 

But she went on to explain how the chemotherapy she received was successful and she was able to become active again, eventually trying different sports before settling on canoeing. Chelsey, who had previously played football for West Bromwich Albion, found a sport that she loved and began competing. She only took up canoeing two and-a-half years ago yet, following her international debut last August at the ICF Sprint Canoe World Championships in Portugal, she is now the ninth fastest women in the world in her event. Chelsey thanked the We Love Lichfield Fund for the donation which will be vitally important to her training.

 

Other impressive young people attended the event including The Friary High School’s head boy Niall Preston and head girl Hattie Rumsey. They presented £1,000 to We Love Lichfield, money which the school raised through a variety of events including non-uniform days.

 

We Love Lichfield patron Simon Price paid tribute to Chelsey and thanked Niall and Hattie for the Friary School’s donation. Simon also thanked all of the volunteers throughout the Lichfield district who enable our community to function.

 

Last Friday’s presentation saw thousands of pounds given to good causes. They are Beacon Park Tennis, Buddy Bag Foundation, Burntwood Pathway Project, Burntwood Town Council, Gartmore Riding For The Disabled Association Group, Guitar Group 1 – Lichfield U3A (AKA – Don’t Fret), Kendall & Wall Charitable Trust, Lichfield Arts, Lichfield Cruising Club2000 Ltd, Lichfield Greenhill Bower C.I.C, Lichfield Society of Artists,  Open Door of Hope, The Boys’ Brigade 1st Chasetown, The Lichfield and District Live at Home Scheme, The Lichfield and District Live at Home Scheme and Wildfire Folk.

Simon Price also wished to thank The George Hotel for hosting the presentation and for offering everyone ice cream refreshment. Thanks also to Andy Lightbown at David Lloyd Lichfield for the club’s contribution to the goodie bags.

 

For more information about We Love Lichfield visit www.welovelichfield.com

Strictly Come Dancing Star Coming To Lichfield

Lichfield is set to be bowled over by a charity cricket evening starring Strictly Star Graeme Swann

 

We Love Lichfield, Lichfield Cricket Club and The Lord Taveners are hosting a charity evening of sporting chat and entertainment with all the money raised going to good causes across the District

 

Following on from the huge success of last year’s inaugural event, Lichfield Cricket Club, in association with We Love Lichfield and The Lords Taverners, are hosting a Gala Dinner on Friday 28th June. Ex-England cricketer, Ashes hero and Strictly Come Dancing star Graeme Swann is the main speaker, with Radio 5 Live presenter Pat Murphy once again MC for the evening.

 

The dinner, which includes a four-course meal, will take place in a marquee at Lichfield Cricket Club on Eastern Avenue, Lichfield with Gold Package tables of 10 available for £1,000 and standard tables available for £650. There will also be tables available for individual ticket purchases, with single tickets priced at £65.

 

In addition to the meal and Q&A with Graeme Swann & Pat Murphy, there will also be an auction and raffle, with other games taking place throughout the evening in what promises to be another memorable night supporting three fantastic causes, with all money raised being reinvested in the District of Lichfield.

 

Simon Price, CEO of cutlery firm Arthur Price and Patron of We Love Lichfield said: “Last years inaugural event was fantastic, and we are going to push out all the stops to make the 2019 evening even better.  But don’t think this event is just about cricket. Graeme will chat about his celebrity life after cricket including his ‘fab-u-lous’ time on Strictly. It’s set to be a great evening for individuals, families and friends and it’s a great corporate opportunity for local businesses.”

 

For any ticket enquiries or sponsorship opportunities, including further details on our Gold Package, please contact Tom Stone on 07557 962159 or email Lichfieldcc@outlook.com

Support For National Memorial Arboretum

The National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas is magnificent.  If you haven’t been please, please visit.  Solemn yet joyous, emotional yet inspiring it is a world-class memorial to our brave soldiers and civilians over the years.  Arthur Price is delighted to announce that we are supplying the Arboretum’s restaurant with new cutlery and, in recognition of the NMA’s charity status, we have  been able to significantly gift many pieces from our cutlery range.

Mark Ellis, NMA Commercial Director said: “We have a policy of using local suppliers where at all possible, so we are delighted to be working with them and our thanks goes to James and the Arthur Price team for supporting us in this way.”

James Price, Sales Director said “As a company close to the Arboretum we are proud to be working with such a wonderful charity and we look forward to a successful partnership”.

Pictured is James Price and Arboretum Head of Commercial, Mark Ellis in The NMA’s restaurant.

£1275 raised for We Love Lichfield at charity auction

A GLITTERING charity auction has raised £1,275 for the We Love Lichfield fund.

The event at Swinfen Hall Hotel on Tuesday, August 7, celebrated the first anniversary of J’AIME magazine and saw local auctioneer Richard Winterton take the rostrum with a relish.

Five superb lots were on offer. Star of the auction was a fantastic package for four tickets for the British GT race at Donington Park on September 23, courtesy of J’AIME’s motors expert Martin Plowman, who will be racing on the day.

A bonus hospitality package was also included and the lot went on to raise £570 on the night.

Two tickets to a Sauce Supper Club pop-up restaurant event – a tasting menu hosted by a top chef, usually at a Lichfield venue – plus a signed menu and a meet-and-greet with the chef on the evening, courtesy of Sauce founders Beth and Jon Toovey made £380.

A motor racing simulator experience for two, courtesy of Symdeck, raised £130.

A pair of silver, diamond and ruby earrings courtesy of Allen Brown Jewellery, fetched £95 and a signed photograph taken by the late Lord Lichfield, courtesy of Simon Price, raised £100.

Mr Winterton, pictured above during the auction, said: “I went to the last We Love Lichfield ceremony giving out the latest round of grants and it was just amazing to see the smiles on people’s faces signifying what these grants mean to each and every charity. It is just wonderful and we support the fund wholeheartedly. I was delighted to see if we could raise a bit more with a special auction.”

 

Simon Price, Patron of We Love Lichfield said: “Thanks to all for raising an amazing amount in just a few moments.  Thanks to Richard Winterton for compering and to Allen Brown, Sauce Supper Club, Symdeck and Martin Plowman for gifting the prizes.  An a happy first anniversary to J’aime and a thanks on behalf of We Love Lichfield.”

 

We Love Lichfield’s (L-R) John Heeler, Simon Price and Julian Fisher with J’aime Editor Amy Norbury

Care Home Makes £1000 Donation To We Love Lichfield

Newly built The Spires care home in Lichfield has presented local charity We Love Lichfield with a cheque for £1,000.

Recently appointed general manager of The Spires care home presented the charity group with a giant cheque for £1,000 to Arthur Price CEO and Patron of We Love Lichfield at The Spires information and marketing suite, Stafford Road, Lichfield.

Simon Price said, “Thanks to everyone at Barchester for their kind contribution to We Love Lichfield. The Spires Home looks amazing and it’s great to have another business raising money for The Fund.”

Lisa Downes, General Manager at The Spires, said: “We are always keen to show as much support as we can to local charities. The ‘We Love Lichfield’ charity supports amazing local charities and good causes in the Lichfield district, we are so happy to be supporting the charity and the local community. We look forward to future fund raising events for them in the future where our residents will also be involved.

Aptly named after the three spires on Lichfield’s famous Cathedral, The Spires, owned and operated by Barchester Healthcare, and will provide high-quality residential and dementia care for older people in the neighbouring community and will open its doors to residents this summer.