Mike Crawshaw Award for Charity Work.

Nominated by: Our people

Shortlisted by: An independent panel of 'our people'

Selected by: Our people

An award for someone who makes a difference to other people's lives and in the last 12 months

Has organised fundraising events for charity (no specified number)
Has raised money for charity (no specified sum)
Has given their own time to a charitable organisation

Introduced in 2015

Mike Crawshaw - written by Paul Hayden

My very good friend and absolute talisman. Quite simply Mr Sports & Social. He inspired me to want to attempt to emulate what he did and provide opportunities for people to get together and enjoy life.

He served as Secretary for over 30 years and used to single handedly produce a monthly magazine that is legendary called Landrover.

He spent all his work life at Gloucester before retiring to the sun in Portugal where many of us have visited him.

He was highly regarded and respected by all, particularly John Manthorpe who awarded him the Manthorpe Trophy when he introduced it. Saying that was the standard it was supposed to recognise - a high bar that nobody has got close to.

When he retired, he personally asked me to consider running for 'his position' as secretary. I was honoured to step in to those shoes which were and will always remain way too big to fill.

A legendary example and inspiration to everyone who steps up to LR Leisure.

Shortlisted nominees:

Damon Brown (Coventry):

The successful events of which Damon has dedicated his time, support, and huge efforts in the last year are:

Raised £3,000 for Zoe's Place in Coventry a Baby Hospice registered Charity providing palliative, respite and end of life care to babies and infants aged from birth to five years suffering from life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. This care is provided in a caring, safe, home from home environment.
£1500 from a 50-mile charity bike ride around the Cotswolds
£1000 as part of a team that took part in the Inflatable Obstacle Course challenge at Stratford Racecourse.
£500 other events plus a £500 personal donation.

Danielle Lord (Fylde):

Danielle does foodbank collecting all year round in the office. Actively promoting and taking the donated food to the foodbank regularly. At Christmas Danielle takes donations of advent calendars and activity packs for the children. She makes them into little gifts.
Danielle is a key member of the Charity committee.
Danielle has single handily organised numerous fundraising activities at Fylde such as cakes sales, sweepstakes, trick or treat, hamper raffles.
In the last year the charity has raised £2779 for the Child Flight Charity.
The office has been brought together as a community involving the senior leaders by getting them involved with events either as judges or contributing to the raffles.
Danielle volunteers at the local library as digital skills champion helping anyone navigate the new technical world they are now in.

Fay Boulton, Sarah Dowds and Will Partis (Gloucester):

They have recently taken on the Jurassic Coast Challenge walking 100k together on the 18th/19th May.
They have endured rigorous training for months in order to prepare themselves for this. For clarity, this is the equivalent of walking from Gloucester to Birmingham and the even crazier thing is... they did not have a break and were walking continuously until the walk was completed.
With the support of family and friends and a few energy push meals, some lost toenails, insect bites, stumbles and some serious determination, they completed the challenge on the Sunday morning walking over 24 hours non-stop!!
Fay did it for The British Heart Foundation, Sarah did it for Prostate Cancer and Will did it for Pancreatic Cancer UK.

WINNER 2024 - Danielle Lord (Fylde)

Previous recipients of the Mike Crawshaw Award for Charity Work:

2023 - Natasha (Tash) Scott (Peterborough)
2022 - Hannah Cummings (Croydon)
2021 - Harmeet Kaur Liddar (Coventry)
2020 - Eleanor Cuthill (Swansea)
2019 - Kathy Barnes (Coventry)

Awards page.