A charity which provides vital care for children and families as received a significant boost from the West Midlands business community.

Movers and shakers from across the region attend the 2020 Signature Awards at the ICC Birmingham last month. Over the course of the evening a staggering £14,000 was raised for Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Event organiser Ninder Johal visited Acorns hospice in Birmingham, based in Selly Oak, recently to present Chief Executive Toby Porter with a cheque for the five-figure sum.

They were joined at the Oak Tree Lane hospice by Rin Ryan and Felix Peter-Thomas of Barclays, which supported this year’s event with fundraising on the night and match funding.

Ninder, who is Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands, said:

“It’s always a joy to work with Acorns. It’s such a fantastic charity and it’s so great to see the business community come together to back Acorns.

“The £14,000 raised at the Signature Awards at the ICC is a testament to how business can be good for the community and for good causes like Acorns.”

The annual Signature Awards celebrate the best in business, shining a spotlight on the work of those business professionals who have provided cutting edge thinking and have driven their organisations forward.

This was the second year Acorns was the charity of choice for the evening.

Toby Porter, Acorns Chief Executive, said:

“It was a genuine honour to be among some of the region’s leading businessmen and women and share more about the difference our vital children’s hospice care makes to children and families.

“During the evening it was said that ‘focus and resilience’ were the keys to success in business and these words have stayed with me. Resilience and focus are just two of the defining the qualities of our remarkable staff, who never cease to amaze me with the level of skill, compassion and dedication they continue to display day in day out.

“This exceptional care can only continue with the support of the region’s businesses and our local communities and we extremely grateful to receive a cheque for this incredible sum.

“On behalf everyone at Acorns, I would like to say a huge thank you to Ninder and Narinder Johal, to their events team and to so many generous guests who made individual donations that helped raise this fantastic sum for our children’s hospice care.”

Acorns Children’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care for babies, children and young people with life limiting and life threatening conditions, as well as support for their families.

This lifeline care is offered from Acorns three hospices, based in Worcester, Birmingham and Walsall, and in the community.

In the past year, the charity has cared for more than 780 children and over 1,220 families, including those who are bereaved.

Acorns relies on generous donations and fundraising by local businesses and the local community for the majority of the funds it needs to provide its care and support services.

For more information on how you can support Acorns, please visit www.acorns.org.uk