Business people club together in aid of charities

VIRTUAL SUITS AND VINYL SET LATEST EVENT TO RAISE CASH

THE business community has been showing you can still have a good time during lockdown, by clubbing together and raising thousands for charity.

Over the past few months business leaders have been joining up online for everything from virtual horse racing to Bundesliga fantasy football, online bingo and a virtual treasure hunt around Leicester.

At the weekend, DJ Matt Moore performed a virtual Suits and Vinyl set, broadcast live on Facebook and Zoom.

Saturday’s lockdown event was a spin-off of a couple of fund-raising nights held at Leicester’s Queen of Bradgate pub.

It has contributed to the Leicester Business Community Lockdown Fund-raiser collecting more than £7,500 for local charities the Bodie Hodges Foundation, Hope Against Cancer and Soft Touch Arts.

The team behind it all includes business consultant Ian Guyler, Tracey Miller of tax specialists The Miller Partnership, Nick Hodges of the Bodie Hodges Foundation, Nick Taylor of Juice Creative Design and Eileen Richards of ER Recruitment.

The £50 sponsorship packages for the DJ set were snapped up by almost 50 businesses including the likes of Hollingsworth Solicitors, Chutney Ivy restaurant, Cross Productions & Niche Magazine, Cambridge and Counties Bank and Market Harborough-based Corporate Architecture.

Associate Events, which organises Leicester Business Festival, chipped in with £500.

Ian Guyler, who is well known within city business circles for his charity work with the Lord’s Taverners, said sponsors had been able to choose a record and have their logo on screen during the set.

Ian said beforehand: “It’s going to be a musical extravaganza – and replaces the Kasabian concert which had been due to be held in Leicester’s Victoria Park this weekend – with DJ extraordinaire Matt Moore holding court over the headphones. I want to say thanks to all those committed.”

Coronavirus is affecting all our lives and making it harder to spend time with people in the ways we’re used to.

Many of us are working from home, and miss socialising in and around the office.

For others, regular gym sessions have been halted, or the coffee shop catch-up with friends put on hold.

Major changes can alter the way we think, the way we feel and the way we behave. And it can affect each of us differently over time. You may feel bored, frustrated… or lonely. Loneliness is a natural reaction as we social distance or isolate, and it’s important that you don’t blame yourself for those feelings. Don’t be afraid to talk – staying in touch is vital to our wellbeing, and you may be surprised how many people feel the same. Anyone can suffer from loneliness, but older people and those caring for them are some of the worst affected.

Dignity in Dementia is a National Lottery-funded charity in Cumbria that supports local people living with the condition and helps them stay connected to their local community.

With face-to-face groups and activities halted, the organisation has created a guide for carers to use at home, with simple exercises, and a Facebook page so friends and loved ones can share inspiring photos.

We all need to keep connected.