Inspire+ gala dinner raises thousands to help children lead happy, healthy and active lives across our region

Inspire+, a Grantham-based charity dedicated to keeping children across our region healthy, happy, and active, hosted its second Gala Dinner at Harlaxton Manor, raising thousands for its work.

The event, sponsored by Allison Homes, celebrated 13 years of the charity’s work and raised significant funds to support its ongoing initiatives.

The charity’s programme supports around 50,000 young people throughout the region each year.

The evening brought together Olympians, Paralympians, and esteemed guests to honour Inspire+’s achievements and outline the charity’s future plans.

Hosted by Commonwealth Games gold medal winning gymnast Craig Heap, the charity was joined by joined by local Olympian and World Champion swimmer Freya Colbert, Olympic Relay Bronze and European Gold medallist Lewis Davey, and Olympic Silver track cyclist Ed Lowe.

They were also joined and supported by World, Commonwealth and European gold medal winning 400m hurdler Dai Greene, Paralympic high jump champion Jonathan Broom-Edwards MBE and Paralympic swimmer Bruce Dee.

Freya Colbert, Lewis Davey and Ed Lowe participated in Inspire+ programmes while they were at school within South Kesteven, and were even able to show off their Inspire+ ambassador caps on the evening.

All athletes are Inspire+ ambassadors, visiting more than 50 schools across the region and supporting the charity’s programmes.

Patron of the charity Sir Professor Jonathan Van Tam also spoke to guests about the important work Inspire+ is doing to ensure children across the region lead happy, healthy and active lifestyles – and enjoy the wider benefits, such as building resilience and confidence this can bring.

Vincent Brittain, CEO of Inspire+, reflected on the charity’s impact: “I’d like to thank everyone who attended this evening, for their continued support. 

“Over the past year, we’ve reached thousands of children across the region, promoting physical activity, mental wellbeing, and leadership skills.

“Our last annual Mini Olympics in June saw record participation, and we’ve expanded our holiday clubs to support more families. The funds raised tonight will allow us to expand our programmes and touch even more young lives.”

John Anderson, CEO of Allison Homes, who have chosen Inspire+ as one of their community charities of the year, said: “Allison Homes is all about building thriving communities and this is exactly what Inspire+ is doing with young people across our region.

“I was blown away by the work they are doing in our schools, but also the impact it is having to create confident, healthy and happy young people regardless of their backgrounds.

“Supporting Inspire+ is a natural extension of our commitment to enhancing the lives of those in the communities we serve. We are proud to sponsor this event and contribute to a cause that aims to uplift and empower young people.”

More than £7,500 was raised to support the work of the charity on the evening as well as a number of pledges of support from businesses.

It also featured an auction, led by renowned auctioneer David Palmer, featuring items including exclusive experiences such as VIP tickets to the Royal Ballet and Opera, and signed sports memorabilia.

Sponsors of the event Allison Homes strengthened its partnership with Inspire+ through several key initiatives over the past year. The housebuilder has donated almost £15,000 and its employees also volunteered at Inspire+’s ‘Mini Olympics’ in Grantham which brought together more than 2,500 young participants.

Additionally, Allison Homes supports Inspire+’s apprenticeship programme, helping to train the next generation of PE and sports educators.

Find more information about Inspire+ and its charitable programmes.

Find more information about Allison Homes.