Masters 2013: Watkins pays tribute to fundraisers
MAURICE Watkins paid tribute to the charity workers and donors who have helped raise millions of pounds for good causes in the region in recent years.
Mr Watkins, a joint senior partner at law firm Brabners Chaffe Street in Manchester and head of the sports department, has been involved with the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Charity since 2004, leading the charity in its three-year, £20m new children’s hospital appeal.
It funded equipment and parental accommodation at the largest single site children’s hospital in the country.
Receiving the North West Pride award, he said: “It means a lot to me and for all the people who work for the charities. This is for the volunteers, donors and the patients.”
Of the children’s hospital campaign he said: “It was amazing, we had a target of £20m and we did it in three years. It was a good effort from a lot of people.
“There’s a great amount of work going into health and education, particularly at the children’s hospital. We’ve also got this tremendous charity, Breakthrough Breast Cancer where if things go well, we’ll find a cure for breast cancer.”
Mr Watkins was on Manchester United’s board for nearly 30 years and is also chair of governors at Manchester Grammar School. He added: “We now have 240 bursaries and we’re increasing that so anyone would be able to go to the school – it wouldn’t matter what your parents earn.”
Mr Watkins is also chairman of the Rugby League European Federation and chairman of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain. In December he was appointed chairman of British Swimming and will lead the sport into the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.
Other contenders for the Pride award were Forever Manchester and Reuben’s Retreat. Forever Manchester, led by chief executive Nick Massey, is a community foundation – a charity dedicated to strengthening Greater Manchester communities, creating opportunities and tackling issues of disadvantage and exclusion.
Reuben’s Retreat is a North West charity born out of a Tameside family’s tragic loss of their son at 23 months old. Founded by bereaved mother Nicola Graham from Mottram, Tameside in August 2012, Reuben’s Retreat plans to open a facility in the region where families who have children with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses can take respite breaks. The award was sponsored by Liberty Pensions.
[VIDEO: 657]
