An evening to celebrate our supporters
On Monday 24th February, we held our ‘Fly the Kite Thank You Night’, a special evening of appreciation for all those who supported Edward’s Trust in 2024, our 35th anniversary year. We are very happy that the event was such a success: we had close to a hundred guests joining us and it was wonderful to see, celebrate and thank so many of our supporters in such a lovely event.
During the night we heard from our Vice Chair of Trustees and Honorary President Peter Dent, father of Edward and founder of Edward’s Trust, as well as Clare Martin, our CEO, Lucy Goodway, our Head of Engagement, Justine Wilson, our Clinical Lead, and Christine Bodkin, our Chair of Trustees, who reflected on our 35th anniversary, our impact helping bereaved families, and all Edward’s Trust has achieved over those years.
Without our supporters, Edward’s Trust would not exist
But without a doubt, the stars of the night were our amazing supporters, without whom Edward’s Trust would not be possible. In the event we focused and celebrated all the individuals, families, businesses, clubs, schools and volunteers who kindly supported Edward’s Trust in 2024, either by fundraising for us, donating to fund our services, or raising awareness about the work that we do supporting bereaved parents, children and young people across the West Midlands.
During the evening our guests and supporters had the opportunity to participate in the making of a commemorative memory jar to celebrate 35 years of Edward’s Trust, as well as writing down memories, thoughts or wishes related to the charity or a loved one who’s no longer with us on the tail of a giant kite.
A highlight of the night was when Richard Page, Edward’s Trust Ambassador and supporter for 25 years, was finally “knighted” by our Patron Judy Dyke (who herself got an MBE in 2018) after years of waiting for such honour.
Here is a selection of photos from the night:
We ended the evening by looking at the future. We briefly presented our 2025 calendar, announced our brand-new website, and launched our new and exciting Corporate Kite Club – an exclusive membership programme designed for companies who want to make a lasting impact on the lives of bereaved parents, children and young people.
We would like to give special thanks to St George’s School and its headteacher, Mr Luke Nichols, for welcoming us in their lovely assembly hall, as well as to long-time Edward’s Trust supporter Mark Culwick for providing the lovely canapes and drinks we offered to all of our guests. Without their generous help, last week’s event would have not been possible.
Thank you to everyone that joined us on the night for flying the kite with us on our 35th anniversary year!
