Lichfield & Tamworth Lichfield & Tamworth Chamber Patrons
Contact: Marilyn Castree T: 0845 603 6650
Forgotten funds help local charities
Award winners: Peter and Tracy Double award win
for business couple A Tamworth couple who own two of the town’s fastest growing businesses have been recognised at the highest level by their respective industries. Tracy Pound, managing director of MaximITy,
has been named PCR Woman of the Year, while her husband Peter Robinson, managing director of independent insurance broker Prizm Solutions, is celebrating winning the Bluefin Network Star Broker Award 2016. PCR is the trade magazine for the UK’s PC and
Tech Industries. The award recognised Tracy’s outstanding career in IT and in particular her contribution to the UK tech industry. Prizm Solutions are members of the Bluefin
Network, an organisation backed by AXA UK plc and part of one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Annually, Bluefin asks major insurance
companies who are the best UK insurance brokers to deal with and Prizm Solutions came out on top. Peter said: “We have grown every year, and
we really care about our customers, so I am very pleased that this has been recognised.”
A Lichfield charity fund has mushroomed to more than £500,000 – thanks in part to the philanthropy of the cathedral city’s Victorian forefathers and four obscure trust bequests dating back 120 years. The We Love Lichfield Fund, launched just
six years ago, has already benefited a total of 117 local voluntary groups from cricket clubs to breast care groups and computer clubs – and more donations are on the way.
‘We concentrate on raising money for local voluntary groups’
But the fund would never have seen the
light of day without the discovery of four long-defunct charitable bequests going back to the Victorian era which had languished in bank accounts for over 120 years. The We Love Lichfield Fund is one of a
string of local community funds managed by the Community Foundation for Staffordshire, which has distributed over £4.9m to voluntary groups and charities since 2010. It owes its origins to long-forgotten Victorian
charities, including the JS Brown Charity, the Old Bath Bequest, the St Thomas Hewitt Bequest and the Lichfield Provident Bequest. Details of the four funds are sketchy - the
JS Brown Charity was established in 1896 with a legacy left to Lichfield Gas – but the £24,000 contained across the four trusts got the fund-raising ball rolling in Lichfield.
Fund raising: Simon Price Simon Price, CEO of cutlery and gift firm
Arthur Price, said: “I got involved through the We Love Lichfield fund. I had been sheriff of Lichfield and a representative of the Community Foundation turned up and said they had got £24,000 going back to the 19th Century. “The Government’s initiative was to match
fund the money, so that £24,000 became £48,000 and We Love Lichfield was launched. We concentrate on raising money for local voluntary groups. “That £48,000 has grown to more than
£500,000 and we want to get to £1 milion by 2020. Since we started five years ago, we have given £50,000 to 117 different voluntary organisations, often organisations that are not on the radar.”
Rutherfords moves Zoo gets the stamp of approval
into new home Tamworth-based Rutherfords has relocated to new premises at Ventura House. Rutherfords LLP has been based at Lady Bank
in Tamworth town centre since the 1920s. The firm believes the new offices are more
suitable for both staff and clients. The offices are just a short walk from Ventura
Retail Park, with easy access from the A5 and the motorway networks. Tony Illsley, head of the private client department at Rutherfords, said: “The move represents considerable investment in the future of our firm and our excellent workforce. “We offer a wide range of legal services to both
private clients and businesses and we believe that our relocation will enable us to further develop those services and expand our client base.”
32 CHAMBERLINK December 2016/January 2017
Drayton Manor Zoo, part of the award-winning Drayton Manor Park in Staffordshire, is now a full member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), alongside some of Europe’s top zoos. The membership follows two rigorous
screening visits where experts investigated all aspects of the zoos activities, focusing closely on animal welfare, conservation, research and education. Following the visits, EAZA were very happy with the standards that Drayton Manor Zoo has set for itself and is excited about where the zoo is heading. Chris Mitchell, zoo manager at Drayton Manor
Zoo, said: “We are delighted with our EAZA membership and I think it is a great reflection of the work we do here, and how we go above and beyond to make sure all the animals’ needs are met.
Endangered: the Sumatran tigers at Drayton Manor Zoo
“Sadly, animals in the wild are becoming
extinct at an alarming rate and zoos not only narrate this story but also help connect people with nature. Zoos carry out vital conservation work and are key to safeguarding animals and habitats for future generations.”
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