Wolverhampton mayoral lunch raises almost £2,000 for local charities
Wolverhampton comes together to celebrate the power of sport and community
A Wolverhampton restaurant provided the setting for a special mayoral fundraising lunch which brought together community leaders, sporting figures and local charities.
Councillor Paul Singh hosted the sports-themed event at COSMO at Bentley Bridge as part of his mayoral year, with almost £2,000 raised for his four chosen charities – Inspire You, Wolverhampton Boxing Club, DI’s Kitchen and Wolverhampton Judo Club.
The event reflected the Mayor’s theme of ‘Through sport, we grow’, with a number of sporting figures among the guests.
Olympic cycling champion Hugh Porter MBE compered the event alongside his wife, former Olympic swimming champion Anita Lonsbrough. They were joined by former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker John Richards, Olympic judo bronze medallist Kerrith Brown and English Super-Middleweight Champion Ollie Cooper.
Representatives from Inspire You also spoke about the work of the charity, which was founded by Leslie Fairclough following the death of his son, Jamel, in a car crash. The organisation aims to help young people realise their potential.
The event also included a traditional Chinese lion dance, with guests invited to take part in the ceremonial ‘plucking of the greens’, a tradition associated with sharing prosperity and good fortune.
Money was also raised for Wednesfield in Bloom, a community initiative supporting floral displays, planting projects and environmental improvements in the area.
Adding another local connection, Wolverhampton actor Spencer Elcock, who appeared in the Peaky Blinders film, performed a poem celebrating the city and its community.
The fundraising included raffles, an auction and other activities during the event.
Councillor Singh thanked those who had supported the lunch and helped raise money for the four charities.
He said: “I was honoured to be able to invite some of our city’s greatest sporting heroes to this celebratory lunch and to raise almost £2,000 for the charities on the day was a wonderful achievement.”
Leslie Fairclough said the charity had been established in memory of his son to give young people opportunities to become “the best version of themselves”.
The event brought together people from across the city’s sporting, community and charitable organisations in support of the Mayor’s chosen causes.