Business community raises £48,000 at inspirational Leaders & Legends event
Business community raises £48,000 at inspirational Leaders & Legends event
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Cardiff’s business community has raised £48,000 for City Hospice at a charity lunch celebrating leadership, teamwork and resilience.
The second annual Chair’s Lunch – Leaders & Legends event, hosted by City Hospice ambassador Sian Lloyd, was held at The Parkgate Hotel on 17 October and brought together 220 guests from across the region’s corporate sector. Organised by the charity’s Chair, Michael Baker, the event forms a key part of the organisation’s fundraising efforts.
This year’s special guest, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE, took part in an on-stage interview with Deborah Thomas, reflecting on a celebrated career in sport and public life.
The Paralympic legend spoke about the mentors who shaped her journey, including Baroness Warnock, Chris Hallam and Lord Sebastian Coe, highlighting their influence on her rise from education through to elite sport and her current role in the House of Lords.
Leadership in high-performance environments and the importance of building strong teams emerged as central themes in the discussion.
Baroness Grey-Thompson shared how collaboration and diverse skillsets can drive shared success, noting that she draws energy from “what she does and the people around her”, and credited her professional network for its support, trust and ability to challenge constructively.
The focus on teamwork continued as Deborah interviewed two of City Hospice’s clinical nurse specialists, Kath O’Connell and Faye Russell-Jones, who spoke about their roles supporting patients and families both in the community and at the Day Hospice.
Student Lani Kirkman also took to the stage to share an emotional poem in memory of her father Lee, who received care from the charity.
Guests were invited to pledge their backing for City Hospice’s frontline work through a live auction, led by ambassador and auctioneer Ben Rogers Jones.
Donations were made to cover a day, week or month of care, raising an impressive £19,500. In total, attendees funded 30 days, eight weeks and three months of care, equating to around six and a half months of support from one clinical nurse specialist.
Reflecting on the event, Michael Baker, Chair of City Hospice, said: “It was a joy to host the Chair’s Lunch – Leaders & Legends event again.
“Not only did we gain insights from the wonderful Baroness Grey-Thompson on resilience, passion, and navigating sports and politics thanks to well chosen teams, we also heard directly from those in our own team who provide specialist palliative care for our patients and families, and those who have received our care.
“It was an inspiring and moving afternoon, and we are particularly touched by the generosity of the south Wales business community who have contributed so greatly to help us continue to provide vital care to people across Cardiff.”
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