FoundationHighlightsEdition 80 l July 2015

Going for GoldHow we are helping young

people to achieve their best

July 2015 2dmthomasfoundation.org

Panathlon Challenge London Finals 2015

On 18 June the Foundation was invited to attend the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the Panathlon London Final. Since 2010 the Foundation has provided over £60,000 of support for the Panathlon challenge, working with them to help young people achieve their best potential. The power of sport not only for health and learning new skills but for helping achieve a sense of personal well being has long been known. Panathlon Challenge offers sporting opportunities to over 5,000 young people with disabilities every year.

Pictures clockwise L-R: New age curling; Paralympian Liz Johnson opens the games; the Copper Box arena at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

175 disabled students from 19 London schools gathered in the Copper Box arena to decide who would win the 2015 London Trophy and Plate fixtures. After a brilliant afternoon of matches, including Wheelchair slalom, sitting shotput and javelin, Croydon were crowned trophy champions, winning two of the day’s six events. Triple Paralympic medallist and Panathlon Ambassador Liz Johnson presented the winning team with the trophy.

Toyin Fabusiwa from the team said: “It’s amazing. I wasn’t expecting it to be honest, but we got it. This is my last year in my school as well, so this is an amazing way to go out”.

The winners of the Plate, The Village School from Brent, were presented with their winning trophy by Alex Brooker, presenter of Channel 4’s “the Last Leg” and Panathlon Patron. He said:

“I’m so pleased I got to come today. It’s amazing that Panathlon are hosting such a big final here in the Copper Box, an Olympic venue, with so many kids. It just shows how far the charity has come. If there’s anything that demonstrates an Olympic and Paralympic legacy, it’s this. Some of the legacy has got a bit lost along the way, but not here. That’s why I love it so much.”

We also caught up with one of our volunteers, Marciana Sy, who was helping out at the event. We had a chat with her to find out why she loves to volunteer; you can watch her video here.

Click here to read more about Panathlon and for a full list of the finals that are currently taking place nationwide.

July 2015 3dmthomasfoundation.org

An Interview with our Chairman Simon Vincent OBE

Simon Vincent is the Chairman of the Trustees of the DM Thomas

Foundation for Young People, although many of you will know him better as

Executive Vice President & President, Europe, Middle East & Africa at Hilton

Worldwide. We asked Simon to share with us his experiences of working

with the Foundation and his hopes for the future.

What prompted you to first get involved with the Foundation?

I passionately believe that all young people, regardless of their personal

circumstances, should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. When

I joined Hilton Worldwide in 2008, I had heard about the good work of

the Foundation and its work helping youth causes and I was delighted to

become Chairman of the Foundation shortly thereafter.

What have been your favourite moments of working with the Foundation over the past few years?

Some of the best memories are from the charity visits that I have been able to attend over the years. I have met

some truly amazing young people whose lives have been transformed thanks to the support of local charities and the

Foundation support that has enabled their work to continue.

In terms of events, walking over the main suspension bridge across the Bosphorus in Istanbul (only U2 had been given

permission to do this before Hilton Worldwide) and boxing against Clinton McKenzie, the ex World Champion, in aid

of the Foundation’s Galvin’s Chance, was equally memorable!

Please can you describe what

your role as Chairman of the

Board of Trustees for the

Foundation entails?

Certainly. The Board is made up of

talented, experienced individuals

who volunteer their time in their

personal capacity and share their

skills to guide and promote the

work of the Foundation. We meet

a minimum of four times a year to

review financial progress, discuss

key events and campaigns, oversee

grant distribution and plan for the

medium and long term. Additionally,

through email and phone calls we

keep up to date with each other

and with the news of the charity sector,

or take group decisions that may not wait until the next quarterly meeting.

Simon with the performers at the 2014 Foundation Ball, London

July 2015 4dmthomasfoundation.org

Why do you believe that the work

of the Foundation is important?

Simply, I believe it is everyone’s duty

to help those less fortunate than

ourselves. The busy pace of life and

focus on our own families is such

that sometimes it is easy to forget

about the needs of others. Working

with the Foundation enables me to

support – effectively and with impact

– young people who need and

deserve compassion and help.

Has the Foundation any achievements that you are particularly proud of?

I am incredibly proud of the record of the Foundation, donating significant sums to a wide range of youth causes

and I think this is a unique achievement, especially in the face of a global recession and challenging economic

circumstances.

I am also particularly proud of the into-work programme, Galvin’s Chance, which sees the Foundation work in

collaboration with other delivery agents to train and place young people into work in the hospitality sector. These

young people may have criminal convictions, or be homeless or face other barriers. The success rate - 80% of young

people finding sustained employment - is fantastic. The roll call of Galvin’s Chance employers, which includes Galvin

at Windows, Harrods, The Royal Automobile Club, Intercontinental, The Landsdowne Club, the Bonham, Hotel du Vin

and many more, is testament to the level and ambition of the programme.

How would you like to see the Foundation’s work develop over the next 5 years?

Following the rebrand of the Foundation at the beginning of the year, we have an exciting opportunity to review our

work and the impact we hope to achieve. Our new ABLE framework provides us with a fresh platform from which

to explain our mission and reach out to new corporate partners and individuals. With the help of the Foundation’s

supporters I would like to see the variety of partnerships grow and deepen and the calendar of events become even

broader and compelling.

Why should the Foundation focus on helping young people in the UK and Europe particularly?

I believe the Foundation has a duty to identify and support the best projects reaching young people to help transform

their lives. There is, of course, need everywhere and a growing youth population globally. I think the Foundation has

an opportunity to support young people who are falling behind or by the wayside in our own local communities. With

growing inequality and new issues presenting themselves all the time, including: the need to use foodbanks, gun and

knife crime, cyber-bullying, eating disorders - all recent phenomenato name but a few.

There is also a continued need for new or improved equipment and resources, refurbishment work, funding for

activities, extra support for sick and life-limited young people. The list goes on.

Simon with fellow trustee Dame Maureen Thomas present an award at the 2015 Workshop

July 2015 5dmthomasfoundation.org

Do you think the business world has a lot to teach charities? What about vice versa?

Like businesses, all charities have their own challenges to face and overcome. I always find it interesting to meet

and share thoughts with charity leaders, who face many issues that are familiar to me from my day job – budgeting,

resourcing, brand recognition, people management, quality of product or service, time pressures to name but a few.

In addition, a charity is responsible for managing public funds and ploughing resources back in to improve the lives of

their beneficiaries, a noble endeavour.

I think in business we can learn a lot from charities – for example, cutting wasteful practices, working in partnership

or collaboration as well as in competition, being creative often with minimal resources. I believe that the Foundation,

perhaps because its original roots and founder members were in the business world, has focused on being lean, doing

more for less and showing a fantastic return on investment.

As a business leader, how do you think companies can help provide opportunities to young people? What role

can the Foundation play in this approach?

Supporting young people is not only a personal commitment; it is also a business requirement. Companies have

the key to transforming lives by providing relevant skills training, work experience and ultimately employment. It is a

business imperative for all companies to ensure that they build their talent pipelines and remain relevant to the newer

generation of customers.

The Foundation can play a crucial role in helping companies identify relevant local youth organisations to engage with,

be it for volunteering or training opportunities. Through Galvin’s Chance, the Foundation takes it a step further by

facilitating hands on the reintegration of young ex-offenders into the world of work.

Simon with (L-R) Galvin’s Chance founders Jeff Galvin, Chris Galvin who is also Patron of the Foundation, former boxing champion Clinton Mackenzie and Galvin’s Chance founder Fred Sirieix

July 2015 6dmthomasfoundation.org

A Midsummer Night’s dream of the 1920’s in Brighton

The Midsummer Ball, sponsored by Skerritts, returned once again to Hilton Brighton Metropole this June, in support of the Foundation and Brighton-based charity Rockinghorse. Rockinghorse is the fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Hospital, and over the years the Foundation has awarded them over £70,000 to support their work with sick and vulnerable children in Sussex.

Ball goers were invited to the 1920s themed Midsummer Ball on 20 June to enjoy a fantastic evening of entertainment, including a Strictly Come Dancing style dance competition featuring 4 local personalities.

The evening was hosted by BBC Sussex’s Barry Pike, who introduced the dancers and the Head Judge for the dance competition Zoe Ball, who is a long-time supporter of the Brighton Ball and has impeccable experience in dance technique thanks to her role as host of BBC2’s Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two. Zoe was joined by David Hill, the CEO of E3 group who were responsible for coordinating the fabulous evening’s entertainment, and Jack the Lad, presenter of the Heart Sussex Breakfast Show.

The dancers took to the floor in their finest flapper wear to perform their Charleston routines. Eleanor Harris, Chief Executive of Brighton i360 and Heart Sussex Breakfast Show presenters Nicola Hume and Tom Evans all danced their best Charleston to the delight of the crowd, but the evening’s trophy went to Barry Carden, Managing Director of Carden’s Accountants in Hove, who raised over £7,000 in sponsorship. The dancers had all worked extremely hard in the run up to learn their routines, with support and choreography from I Charleston Brighton and the Brighton Academy.

Barry Carden of Carden’s Accountants puts his best leg forward

Nicola Hume finishes her performance in style

July 2015 7dmthomasfoundation.org

As well as enjoying the wonderful dancing, guests enjoyed a sumptuous three course meal and champagne reception prepared by Hilton Brighton Metropole Head Chef and team. Throughout the night guests were able to bid on some fantastic prizes in the ball auction including a 5 night’s stay for two people at Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa and there was also a game of heads and tails featuring a meal for 10 provided by Ben McKellar, Founder of The Gingerman Restaurant. The ball raised over £68,000 (net) for the Foundation, and Rockinghorse, the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Thank you to General Manager Sascha Koehler and his fantastic team at Hilton Brighton Metropole as well as ball sponsors Skerritts, E3 for providing the entertainment, Fairfax Meadow, Ritter Courivuad Ltd, Town & Country Fine Foods, Seafood Holdings Ltd, Brake Bros Ltd, PSAV Ltd and the United Fresh Consortium Ltd for an incredible evening.

L-R The Judges show their approval; Eleanor Harris takes to the floor

A dramatic performance from Heart Sussex Breakfast presenter Tom Evans

July 2015 8dmthomasfoundation.org

Meet our new grantees

Our grants committee met this June and we are delighted to announce that we will be supporting some incredible charities this quarter. Read on to find out more about who they are and how we will be supporting them to transform young lives:

Friends of Mapledown is the parent-led voluntary fundraising arm of Mapledown school, a London-based special school for children aged 11-19, who have a life-long learning disability. The Foundation is delighted to refurbish and equip the school’s sensory room providing £10,000 to assist with the redevelopment. Sensory rooms are used as a therapeutic tool, to help with a wide range of disabilities including physical and mental.

Friends of Mapledown

Coatham House

Coatham House is a charity based in Redcar, Cleveland, which was established by local residents to help support young people who were in housing need. They have been granted £4,280 from the Foundation for the implementation over two years of the Lifewise programme, which seeks to help homeless young people gain skills and training towards employment.

Kids Together West Belfast

Kids Together West Belfast was established in 2005 by local parents to provide support to children and young adults with disabilities and their families. They have direct experience of the difficulties faced by children/young adults and their families with disabilities such as autism, Downs Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy. The Foundation will support them in the provision of sensory and educational equipment, furniture and tutor costs for music and art therapy sessions for 192 children who have a range of needs including disability and who are disaffected or showing behavioural difficulties, at their Oasis Family Centre.

The National Rehabilitation Foundation

The NRH Foundation in Dublin is the fundraising charity for the National Rehabilitation Hospital. The paediatric service caters for young people aged 0-18, particularly with acquired brain injuries, with the average patient age being 12 years old. The NRH Foundation requested support to buy specialised rehabilitation equipment for young people and children with a wide range of disabilities, as well as play equipment for their pediatric care unit. The Foundation provided 9994 Euro (£7687.69) to the NRH Foundation for the purchase of the equipment.

July 2015 9dmthomasfoundation.org

Addenbrookes

Addenbrookes charitable trust is the charity arm of Addenbrookes Hospital, based in Cambridge. Charitable donations to ACT fund high-tech equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and vital research to find potential cures. The trust was awarded £8,550 by the Foundation to support equipment costs in their newly opened neo-natal ward including two baby cribs, a transcutaneous bilirubinometer which assess jaundice in newborn babies and a hi-tech breast pump.

TOKKO Youth Space

TOKKO Youth space opened in June 2013 to bring together young people from across Luton. The centre was designed, developed and run with young people as a forum and offers a range of positive and exciting activities aimed at stretching primarily 13-19 (up to 25 with a disability) year olds’ imaginations and extending ambition and potential. It is based in the town centre and is one of the only remaining youth clubs serving the town. The charity has completed an 18 month pilot disability project aiming to reach 60 young people with disabilities aged 11-25. The Youth Board meets regularly to discuss and put forward particular ideas to enhance inclusion and opportunities for the young people. For example, an idea which came out of the youth board is the idea to make their climbing wall accessible to wheelchair users. The Foundation awarded TOKKO youth space £4,795 to fund various equipment including headphones and a mixing desk, to improve the climbing wall area and to provide respite opportunities for parents and carers while their young people are in the care of the club.

The Island Trust

Plymouth-based charity The Island Trust was established in 1973 with the aim of transforming young lives by providing confidence-building, traditional adventure sailing. They now support around 1,000 disadvantaged young people aged 14-25 from around the UK every year by allowing them access to the joys of sailing leading to accredited qualifications, improved employability and confidence. The grants committee awarded The Island Trust with £8,280 to help with refurbishing one of their ships “Moosk”. The Trust will replace the sails and bring the interior to a higher quality standard, as well as provide new equipment such as life jackets.

Competition - win Bulgari Toiletries!

To be in with a chance of winning a fabulous Bulgari toiletry set just let us know what your favourite part of Highlights is. By entering you’ll also be helping us to improve Highlights so that it’s even better! Drop an email to comms@dmtfyp.org letting us know your answer, and we will draw a winner from all of the responses, which we’ll announce in the August edition of Highlights.

July 2015 10dmthomasfoundation.org

Paris - Geneva Cycle Ride

Followers of DM Thomas Foundation for Young People will know that our supporters have long been in the habit of coming up with creative, unusual and sometimes frankly terrifying challenges, all to raise funds to help us continue our work supporting the health and education of disadvantaged and vulnerable young people.

That being said, we were still somewhat surprised last year when a supporter, who had previously cycled from London to Paris to raise funds for the Foundation, contacted us to say that now they were ready to take on a new challenge and suggested

they pick up where they left off and cycle from Paris to Geneva. Thus it was that 21 intrepid cyclists, arriving from London, Watford, Dubai, Moscow and South Africa, left Paris on 11 June and cycled into Geneva 4 days, 358 miles, two countries and a mountain range later. As if that wasn’t hard enough, two cyclists also cycled from London to Paris in 24 hours before the main challenge.

As anyone who has ever watched the Tour de France will know, this route not for the faint-hearted. This gargantuan challenge incorporates 358 miles of hard cycling and passage over the Jura Mountain Range, including the notorious Col de la Faucille which has an elevation of 1,323m. Our cyclists endured scorching heat, blisters, falls and even torrential rain (on the last day), to arrive safe and sound into Switzerland. They made a fantastic team and supported each other through the toughest climbs and were always ready at the end of the day with a drink and an impromptu awards ceremony. The team kept friends and family up-to-date via their Everyday Hero blog and via Twitter and Facebook. For more pictures of the trip, please visit our Facebook page.

Our 21 cyclists aimed to raise £2,500 each - a collective target of £52,500 gross – to support the Foundation’s work in improving the education and well-being of disadvantaged and vulnerable young people. They surpassed this target before the ride began, and even now donations are still coming. The cyclists have to date received a simply magnificent total of £56,126 from their generous donors, and you can still support their fundraising by clicking here. Through the Foundation individual riders are able to support our charity partners: Montessori, World Bike Relief, The Brain Tumour Charity, Gift of Life, the National Autism Society and Great Ormond Street.

The Foundation would like to thank our wonderful cyclists who were brave enough to take on this incredible feat and who achieved it with such flair: Nicholas Balderson, Hamid Belkebir, Paul Blackmore, Tim Bloomfield, Bradley Boulle, Gordon Coles, Graham Dodd, Gerd Fischer, Celia Geyer, David Hossack, Alan Hutchinson, Hugo James, Francois Kotler, Phillipa Le Roux, Maurice Petignat, Peter Prickett, Matthias Schulthess, Andy Thorne, Christopher Webb, Alan Woolston, and James Wright.

The trip was led by Global Adventure Challenges, and fantastic support was on hand at all times from Alex, Sam, Guy, Ashley and Lawrence.

July 2015 11dmthomasfoundation.org

The Foundation and the cyclists would like to thank the following companies for their generous sponsorship which resulted in such a magnificent total:

July 2015 12dmthomasfoundation.org

Charity Bike Ride, Portugal

This May the Conrad Algarve held its 6th annual charity bike ride in partnership with ACCA Kids, a charity which supports children in need in the Algarve, Portugal. This year’s bike ride had the specific goal of raising enough money to purchase a specially adapted wheelchair for two-year-old Beatriz. Beatriz has been paralysed since suffering epileptic fits immediately after birth and is dependent upon a wheelchair for getting around. Her family could not afford the 4,500 Euros necessary for a wheelchair specially adapted for her requirements. The sponsorship collected so far by the Conrad Algarve and ACCA Kids has enabled the family to buy Beatriz her new chair, which will be delivered to the family any day. So far, the bike ride has raised 4,430 Euros, with more sponsorship still to come. Well done to everyone who was involved in this year’s bike ride.Members of Conrad Algarve enjoying the sunshine on their cycle ride

Congratulations Janet!

On 11 June Janet McAteer was awarded the “People’s Choice Award” at the Leeds Hoteliers and Venues Awards. The awards ceremony took place at the Queens Hotel in Leeds and was attended by over 200 members of the hospitality industry. Janet has long been a passionate and dedicated supporter of many charitable causes including the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People, and we are very proud of her! Congratulations Janet on this very deserved award. Here she is with fellow winner from the night, John Shields.

Hilton Leeds show support for local Hospice

Steven Hall, General Manager of Hilton Leeds City and Janet McAteer, PA, were delighted to hand over a cheque to Martin House Children’s Hospice. The total of £4,379.25 was raised over the year by team members at the hotel, through various activities and was presented to John Haigh of Martin House Children`s Hospice.

July 2015 13dmthomasfoundation.org

Life is Beautiful at the The Hilton Waldorf, London

Stars of the stage and screen, as well as members of the hospitality industry and charitable supporters, turned out for a glittering charity gala on 24 July. The event, which took place at the exclusive The Waldorf Hilton in Covent Garden, was held to raise much needed funds for The Foundation and Young Epilepsy. Young Epilepsy is the only UK-wide charity exclusively supporting the 112,000 children and young people aged 25 and under with epilepsy and their families.

Party goers including TV presenter Brenda Emmanus and actor Christopher Biggins were welcomed to a champagne reception sponsored by Pernod Ricard in the Waldorf’s beautiful Palm Court with drinks and sumptuous canapés prepared by General Manager Alison Palin’s team. They were then whisked off to see West End smash hit musical “Beautiful, the Carol King Musical” at the Aldwych theatre.

After enjoying the show, guests returned to enjoy a delicious three course dinner, and took part in an auction for wonderful prizes including a 3 night stay at the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian and VIP tickets to the Six Nations England vs Wales fixture. After dinner guests were treated to more musical entertainment by West End stars Mark Adams and George Long who sang classic Rat Pack hits. The evening raised over £30,000.

Christopher Biggins, Patron of the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People said:

“I’m so delighted to be able to support this event, the proceeds of which will go on to help transform the lives of many disadvantaged young people and children. I feel very passionately about this cause and hope that tonight raises a lot of money!”

Simon Sheehan, Director of the Foundation said:

“We’re so grateful once again to the team at The Waldorf Hilton Hotel for supporting us. Events like these make the work we do to help disadvantaged children and young people around Europe possible, and we hope that our guests had as great an evening as we did.”

L-R The Palm Court is set up for the evening, Foundation Patron Christopher Biggins

July 2015 14dmthomasfoundation.org

Ducks for Dogs - supporting young people in Prague

Hilton Prague and Hilton Prague Old Town are always keen to help out local children in need. Together the hotels are long time supporters of “Pestra spolecnost”, an organization which helps adults and children with disabilities to thrive with the help of assistance dogs.

In 2013 Jakub and assistance dog Bentley were supported through funds raised from the sales of Ducks for Change in the hotels. This year the teams at the hotels have supported training of two assistance dogs; Labrador Falco and Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Rosie (still in training).

Falco will help nine-year old boy Jindra. Jindra suffers from cerebral palsy and heart surgery. Falco was

officially adopted by Jindra and his family at a celebration event at Hilton Prague hotel.

Retriever Rosie is currently undergoing training. When she is fully trained, she will be adopted by Julia, who also has cerebral palsy, and her family. The dogs will help the children in their day to day lives, with activities such as collecting fallen items from the floor, opening doors and drawers, assisting with standing up and balancing, improvement of delicate movement skills which will develop through contact with an animal, and speech therapy through interaction and issuing commands.

Jindra and Julia with their families and assistance dogs Falco and Rosie

On 26th June, representatives from Regus, DEBRA, Macmillan Cancer Care and DM Thomas Foundation for Young People met to draw the winner of the New York, New York National Raffle.

The raffle sale period ran from 7 March to 29 May and tickets were sold in Regus Business Centres, selected Hilton Worldwide hotels, and charity shops run by DEBRA and Macmillan Cancer Care. For the first time ever, tickets were also available to buy online. Net proceeds from the raffle will be split between the Foundation, DEBRA and Macmillan Cancer Care.

More than 8,000 tickets were sold for the chance to win the star prize of a three-night stay at Conrad New York. Other prizes included a stay at a 5* Chateau in Provence, a tour for four people backstage at ITV’s This Morning and a £100 voucher for Rowley’s Restaurant in Covent Garden, London. A full list of the prizes along with the winning ticket numbers can be found here.

The raffle is part of the Foundation’s ongoing partnership with Regus. The New York, New York Raffle is the sixth to have taken place and more than £71,000 net has been raised to support the work of the Foundation, DEBRA and Macmillan Cancer Care as a result of this collaboration.

Debra is the national charity working on behalf of people in the UK with the genetic skin blistering condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). Debra supports affected children and their families with specialist nursing and advice, and also funds vital research into this traumatic condition. Macmillan Cancer Support offer a wide range of practical and emotional advice and support to patients with cancer from diagnosis through treatment and beyond, helping patients feel more in control of your life.

New York, New York Raffle

Pictured: Joanna Szewczyk, Regus; Leri Price & Rosy Harper from DMTFYP; Lisa Clements from DEBRA; & Vicki Brown from Macmillan Cancer Care

July 2015 15dmthomasfoundation.org

The Ducks are on the loose . . .

Follow the adventures of our Ducks for Change on facebook and keep your eyes on their page for a very exciting update coming soon . . .

July 2015 16dmthomasfoundation.org

Brave runners take on the Tower

On 5 June 79 athletes gathered in London Hilton on Park Lane to take on the mighty Mayfair Power & Tower Race 2015. The annual race has been running since 2009 in support of Galvin’s Chance - read more about how Galvin’s Chance has been transforming lives on the following page.

After registering at the desk and picking up their race numbers the runners headed to the band stand in Hyde Park, to start the race. They set off on a 4.5km dash around the Park, passing famous landmarks like the Serpentine, and then back across to London Hilton on Park Lane. The real trial then began for the runners, who had to scale the 29 flights of stairs to Galvin at Windows Restaurant on the top of the tower. The first person across the finish line was Daniel Brennan who completed the race in 23.38 minutes.

Participants who undertook the race in teams of four faced an additional challenge by taking on British Military Fitness obstacles along the way. The fastest team completed the whole course in 31 minutes. Fred Sirieix, co-Founder of Galvin’s Chance, decided to give himself an even greater challenge by sparring with boxing legend Clinton Mackenzie at points around the course and finished the course in 49.29 minutes, along with a few bruises.

At the top of the tower the runners were welcomed to Galvin at Windows, where they enjoyed a hard-earned glass of champagne – kindly donated by Pommery – and a breakfast sandwich. Speeches were then given by co-Founder of Galvin’s Chance and the Foundation’s new Patron, Chris Galvin, co-Founder Fred Sirieix and a previous Galvin’s Chance graduate Muhammed who thanked runners and explained how the programme had helped him to turn his life around.

Thank you so much to all of our participating runners for helping us to raise over £9,000 to support the future running of the programme. To read more about Galvin’s Chance and to support the programme please click here.

L-R: A team takes on British Military Fitness, the winning team show off their trophies, Fred Sirieix and Clinton Mackenzie reach the top of the tower

July 2015 17dmthomasfoundation.org

Galvin’s Chance update

AmyLeigh also entered the Galvin’s Chance programme believing that her criminal record would prevent her from getting a job. Despite already having a Level 2 hospitality and catering qualification, experience working in a pub kitchen and in-depth knowledge of the hospitality industry, AmyLeigh was held back by her lack of confidence. AmyLeigh successfully completed a placement at Talkington Bates, who offered her a permanent position.

During training, AmyLeigh identified fine dining as an area she would like to work in and greatly enjoyed the site visit to Duck & Waffle where she met Executive Head Chef Daniel Doherty. Noting her desire to work there, Galvin’s Chance put AmyLeigh forward for the position of commis chef when one became available. For a while AmyLeigh worked for both Talkington Bates and Duck & Waffle. After resigning from Talkington Bates, AmyLeigh was able to work 50 hours a week as a commis chef at Duck &Waffle. Having also resolved a couple of personal issues, AmyLeigh has been able to commit to working hard and concentrating on her career. These endeavours have paid off as she has recently been promoted to demi chef de partie at Duck & Waffle.

AmyLeigh is very appreciative of the help and opportunities she received from Galvin’s Chance:

“I am more stable than I have ever been; my career is going well, the pay is good and my living circumstances are good. I wouldn’t have got where I am today without your help.”

Damian, 23

Damian was referred to Galvin’s Chance by Lifeline Projects. Damian was at University but decided to drop out, and as a result found himself unable to support himself and struggled to find a job. He started selling drugs and received a criminal record after being caught. When he came across Galvin’s Chance he had reached the point of feeling that he’d never be able to find employment.

From the start of the programme Damian was interested in the training, enjoyed group activities and discussions and engaged positively with managers on different site visits. Although he had problems with lateness at the beginning, this improved as training progressed.

Early on Damian expressed an interest in doing a placement at Harrods, which he successfully completed, and they were so impressed by him they offered him a

permanent contract to work at the burger bar on the fourth floor on completion of his training.

Damian is proud to work for Harrods, which shows in his professional manner, quick learning and punctuality, which has continued to improve. His manager is extremely pleased with Damian’s work and the two enjoy an excellent working relationship. Issues in Damian’s personal life have improved vastly too, thanks in part to the intensive mentoring that Galvin’s Chance provided. Damian is now able to save money and often spends his free time pursuing his passion, music.

The 2014 Galvin’s Chance programme was able to offer placements to 20 young people from London. After passing the interview stage, and completing 4 weeks of pre-employment apprenticeship training many of the participants have gone on to successfully secure long-term employment in the hospitality industry and elsewhere. We are delighted to share with you three of their stories.

AmyLeigh, 20

by Rosy Harper

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This June Hilton Birmingham Brosgrove held a stroke awareness day. Members of the Stroke Association spent the day at the hotel and provided literature and advice to team members, conference delegates and guests. They also offered blood pressure checks and support for those who wanted them.

Team members provided cupcakes and tea for a local stroke survivors group who were there as part of a weekly meeting at the hotel. Stroke Association is the leading charity in the UK changing the world for people affected by stroke. Their support services have helped hundreds of thousands of people and their carers and dependents get through one of the most frightening experiences of their lives and build a life after stroke.

Support for stroke survivors in Birmingham

Team members in their Stroke Association t-shirts

Mo had been unemployed since leaving an IT college course which he hadn’t enjoyed when he was referred to Galvin’s Chance by BlueTouch consultancy.

During training Mo was very reliable and really enjoyed the challenge. Mo was originally offered a placement at The Intercontinental Hotel in Park Lane involving both serving and cooking in their restaurant. However, Mo’s hard work and long hours impressed staff and he was put in the kitchen where he was considered for a chef apprenticeship. After several successful interviews he became a commis chef and is now undertaking an apprenticeship at the Intercontinental where is learning from a range of experienced chefs.

Mo had to travel from Croydon to the Intercontinental in time for his shifts starting at 4am, which proved to be a challenge! However, Galvin’s Chance was able to help him with his first month of travel and Mo has since moved into a new affordable, self-contained property in Thornton Heath. Mo now works six days a week and has managed incredibly well with the major lifestyle changes.

Mo has described the past year as an “explosion” and says he can’t believe the support he has received and his achievements. Mo’s remarkable turnaround is evident from his recent meeting with his foster mother. The two had last seen each other when she took him to anger management classes; now Mo was taking her to celebrate her birthday at Duck & Waffle – a restaurant he had visited during his Galvin’s Chance training. Mo recently spoke about his experiences at the Mayfair Power & Tower Race, an important fundraiser for the Galvin’s Chance programme. The Executive Chef at the Intercontinental expects Mo to become a chef de partie in a couple of years, if he continues as he is.

Muhammed ‘Mo’, 18

Mo with Springboard’s Rachel Neuer at the Mayfair Power & Tower Race

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Dates for your Diary

05/07/2015 Hilton London Metropole Charity Ball

05/07/2015 Hilton Blackpool Blackpool Illuminations Half Marathon

12/07/2015 The Foundation British 10K (London)

17/07/2015 Hilton London Wembley Golf Day

23/07/2015 Hilton Worldwide Golf Day - International Division

21/08/2015 DoubleTree by Hilton Dublin Hilton’s Got Talent - Burlington Road

28/08/2015 Conrad Algarve White Party

29/08/2015 Hilton Blackpool Illuminations 10K

04/09/2015 Hilton Birmingham Metropole Met to Met Cycle Challenge

06/09/2015 The Foundation Northampton Half Marathon

10/09/2015 Hilton Templepatrick Golf Day

11/09/2015 Hilton Glasgow Scotland & Ireland Regional Ball

13/09/2015 The Foundation Run to the Beat 10K

03/10/2015 Hilton Manchester Deansgate Star Ball

04/10/2015 The Foundation Bournemouth Marathon/Half Marathon

09/10/2015 Hilton Dublin Ball

17/10/2015 Hilton Avisford Park, Arundel Ball

31/10/2015 The Foundation Zombie Evacuation

07/11/2015 The Foundation Foundation Ball

13/11/2015 Hilton London Heathrow Airport Race Night

13/11/2015 Hilton Cardiff Cardiff Ball

If you would like to attend any of these events, please visit the events page on our website to book. If you have any other events not shown, do tell us at events@dmthomasfoundation.org.

If you have activities that you would like to be included in the next edition of Highlights please contact us on comms@dmthomasfoundation.org We wish you the best of luck with all of your Foundation activities and thank you for helping us to transform young lives.

Please look out for our Around the World in a Day 2015 special edition which will be coming to you next week!