Member Article

Liverpool Sportswoman’s Lunch raises almost £11k for the Encephalitis Society

Following a successful second year, The Liverpool Sportswoman’s Lunch (LSL) has smashed its fundraising target and raised £10,848 for the Encephalitis Society.

The event, which welcomed Olympian Rebecca Adlington OBE as guest speaker, raised an astonishing £4k more than the inaugural event in 2018. The final total comprised ticket sales, donations and the proceeds from a raffle at the event that took place at DoubleTree (Hilton), Liverpool in September.

Founding members of the LSL attended the Encephalitis Society’s annual My Brain, My Story event in October to present the cheque to Dr Ava Easton, the charity’s CEO, who attended the lunch alongside Rebecca.

Originally founded and supported by MSIF, Bathgate Business Finance and DTM Legal, the Liverpool Sportswoman’s Lunch was established to bring together the professional community of the city to celebrate the achievements of women in the sporting industry. The event now boasts a plethora of proud sponsors including Brabners LLP, NatWest Commercial, Bibby Financial Services and Flavell Wealth Management.

The LSL adopted the Encephalitis Society, for which Rebecca Adlington’s is an ambassador, as the beneficiary of funds raised at the 2019 lunch. The Olympic swimmer has a close personal tie to the charity after her sister received a diagnosis of the condition in early life.

A spokeswoman from the LSL said: “We always set out to surpass last year’s fundraising total, but we never imagined we would exceed it by so much. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our supporters and guests. We are also extremely proud to have been able to support a fantastic cause championed by a sportswoman of Rebecca’s calibre.”

Rebecca Adlington OBE commented: “It was wonderful to be part of the Liverpool Sportswoman’s Lunch and I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and generosity. The money raised will help the Encephalitis Society continue its research into the condition and the support it provides to those affected. I know from personal experience just how vital that support is.”

Dr Ava Easton, CEO, Encephalitis Society added: “The Liverpool Sportswomen’s Lunch was such a fantastic, uplifting event. We have close ties to Liverpool, due to work being done by the University of Liverpool into the condition, so it was great to be in the city to raise even further awareness around Encephalitis and our work.”

The Liverpool Sportswoman’s Lunch is set to return in autumn 2020.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nikki Girvan .