Tag: voluntary

Our CEO Wins Community Award

Simon Price, our CEO has been named the Lichfield St Chad Rotary Community Champion 2025. He was awarded the honour for his patronage of the We Love Lichfield fund and helping to organise the Arthur Price of England Speaking Competition, in association with Lichfield St Chad Rotary, for 30 years..

Elaine Hutchings, the new President of Lichfield St Chad Rotary said, “Simon Price is a true community champion. He started We Love Lichfield from virtually nothing and now it plays a vital role in the area’s voluntary sector. And his long-standing support for the speaking competition is cherished by many including teachers, pupils and parents.

“His enthusiasm for all things Lichfield and the district is boundless. I wish we could bottle it.”

Simon Price said, “I am honoured to be recognised and like to thank everyone involved. I can’t tell you how much I love living and working in this wonderful place. I am lucky to call it home.”

 

Simon is pictured receiving his award from Past President Andrew Sims and Current Present Elaine Hutchings at The George Hotel, Lichfield

We Love Lichfield Receives Big Donation

Our CEO Simon is also patron to the community fund We Love Lichfield which has received a £10,000 donation from the business trading arm of Lichfield District Council. Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services (LWMTS) has donated funds from its annual surplus as part of its commitment to give back to the local area.

 

LWMTS is the wholly owned trading company of Lichfield District Council. It exists to deliver high-quality services to residents on behalf of the council. It also shares its award-winning expertise with other councils and organisations across the country. What makes LWMTS unique is its model and its values. All surpluses are reinvested back into local public services with the ability to donate to good causes in the district.

 

Alex Farrell, Chair of LWMTS said, “I’m delighted to make this donation. LWMTS has had an excellent year where we have been able to make significant returns to Lichfield District Council which will, in turn, be used to benefit local people. In addition, we can make donations to organisations we feel make a difference across the district.

 

“We Love Lichfield has raised and distributed over £420,000 to more than 400 different groups since it started a decade ago. It specifically helps smaller groups, who may not receive the limelight, but are the bedrock of the local voluntary community.

 

“By making this donation to We Love Lichfield and their unique knowledge and connections in the local voluntary sector, we are maximising our reach and benefitting as many people as possible who make a difference across the district.”

 

Some of the organisations to receive We Love Lichfield grants over the years include Spark in Burntwood, Whittington Community Computer Club and Friends 2 Friends.

 

Esther Allen from Spark Burntwood said, “Our groups have received multiple grants from We Love Lichfield which has helped us to provide vital services to local people. Without grants from We Love Lichfield we wouldn’t have been able to do much of our work for the community.”

Simon Price, Patron of We Love Lichfield said, “Wow. A huge thank you for this kind donation which will have a massive, positive effect on local voluntary groups across Lichfield, Burntwood and the surrounding villages.

 

“My thanks also go to Lichfield District Council for entrusting We Love Lichfield in assisting them in their grant and Community Lottery funds. To have the council as a partner gives us a boost to strive even harder to make a difference across our district.”

 

Grant applications can be made at any time throughout the year and We Love Lichfield are always looking for groups to apply for the first time. Grant awards are made twice a year in the Summer and at Christmas. For more information, please visit our website www.welovelichfield.com where you can find all the details.

 

We Love Lichfield is one of the Community Foundation For Staffordshire and Shropshire’s place based funds.  It provides grants to a wide range of projects operating across the district of Lichfield. The fund considers applications from local groups in need twice a year. It raises money and then the returns are given away. Companies and individuals make up the bulk of the donors to the fund, either through direct donations, or by fundraising.

 

Since it started over a decade ago, We Love Lichfield has given away just over £420,000 in 428 grants to 228 organisations.

 

All the money raised is invested through an endowment fund in line with charity commission guidelines. The financial return from the fund is then distributed as small grants across the area. The beauty of this model is that it will provide a source of sustainable funding that can be used for grants long in to the future.  It’s almost like a pension scheme set up to support community and voluntary groups across Lichfield. Individuals and businesses can raise money for We Love Lichfield. They can fund raise or they can donate via Enthuse here: https://cfss.enthuse.com/welovelichfield

 

Picture is Simon receiving a cheque from LWMTS’s Alex Farrell together with WLL and LWMTS representatives

Arthur Price CEO is made Honorary Freeman of Lichfield 

Arthur Price CEO Simon Price is made Honorary Freeman of Lichfield in recognition of services to the city. At a Mayoral service at the Guildhall, Lichfield, Simon was installed, along with others as a Freeman

The Smiths are members, known as Freemen, of the Worshipful Company of Smiths, Goldsmiths, Cardmakers and Ironmongers, Pewterers and Braziers, Cutlers, Nailors and Spurriers of the City of Lichfield.

The Company was already recognised in 1601 as ‘an antient society’ when its charter was renewed and it is more than possible that its history goes back centuries further.

Guilds, Companies and Mysteries were mainly of medieval origin, coming into being to protect the often precarious livelihoods of craftsmen.  Lichfield was too small for each craft to have its own guild which brought about the amalgamation of the trades into a single company, known for short as ‘The Smiths.’

The guilds became powerful and often took on responsibilities later to be performed by municipal councils.  Abuses of the power of the guilds led to curbs on their activities and the need for charters to be granted and ratified.

Subsequent legislation gradually whittled away the power of the guilds and many died away.  The Lichfield Company is one of a comparatively few to remain, not, now, to protect the livelihoods of its members but to encourage craftsmanship.  To this end, men and women skilled in their craft living or working in Lichfield are invited to become Freemen, apprentices are sponsored and  people who have been singled out for their services to the City are appointed as Honorary Freemen.

The major events of the Company’s year are the Mayoral Court in February, at which new members are sworn, followed by the Annual Feast chaired by the newly installed Worshipful Master; the Annual General Meeting, still held in the week following St Clement’s Day according to ancient custom; the Garden Party in July and visits throughout the year at the whim of the Master.

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