We are delighted and excited to announce that we will be named as the sponsors for an award as part of the 2024 Yorkshire Children of Courage Awards (YCCA) to be held in October.
The YCCA is an annual event that raises much-needed funds for the St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation and recognises Yorkshire’s most inspirational and bravest young people with awards and recognition.
We attended the launch event to get the fundraising started on Wednesday, March 20th at Banyan in Leeds, hosted by PinkGorilla HairyLemon (PGHL), where we met the team behind the awards and heard about their plans for 2024 from Ewan Dowes, Chairman of St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation.
Special guests on the evening included rugby legend Rob Burrow CBE, Leeds Rhino Rugby players Rhyse Martin and Ash Handley, alongside former Leeds Women Rugby player Danika Priim, former Leeds United and England footballer Brian Deane, and former Loose Women and Actress Natalie Anderson. All were in great spirits, showing their support of the charity.
Managing Director of Spark, Elliot Burnett, says, “For several years, we’ve held a keen awareness of the Yorkshire Children of Courage Awards, recognising the remarkable resilience and bravery exhibited by young individuals in our community. Now, we are privileged to not only acknowledge but actively participate in these awards by sponsoring an award ourselves. It’s a moment of pride for us to give back to the community in this meaningful way.
At Spark, our ethos revolves around giving back and contributing to the betterment of people’s lives, particularly in securing their futures. While our primary focus lies in assisting adult homeowners across the UK, we firmly believe in extending our support to the younger generation. The Yorkshire Children of Courage Awards presented an ideal avenue for us to channel our commitment to community welfare.
By honouring these courageous young individuals who are local to us, we aim to provide them with the recognition they truly deserve. Their stories inspire us, and it’s an absolute delight for us to be associated with such a remarkable event. Through our sponsorship, we hope to contribute to the empowerment and encouragement of these young heroes, fostering a sense of pride and accomplishment within our community.”
In 2023, the YCCA awards raised over £100,000 with over 700 guests in attendance at the main event held at The New Dock in Leeds, passing expectations, and showing true Yorkshire grit in awarding the bravery of ten remarkable people and their supporting families. The charity has helped support over 70,000 young people in need of support when referred to by schools, social services, and other third-sector groups.
The main event will be held on October 18th at New Dock Hall, Leeds, and will be presented by Christine Talbot and Jon Hammond, where the winners will be announced. We can’t wait. For more information on YCCA, how they help, and how you can help, you can visit www.yorkshirechildrenofcourage.com for more information.
Photo credits The Yorkshire Children of Courage Awards.