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GOOD causes across the district are set to benefit after We Love Lichfield donated thousands of pounds in grants at its special Christmas presentation. The charity, which supports voluntary groups making a difference in our communities, invited recipients, civic leaders and guests to the event in Lichfield’s George Hotel on Friday 14 December.
Just over £13,000 was given away to the following groups; Live Music Now, King George V Scouts and Guides Beaudesert, Shenstone Community Library Local History Group, Kendall and Wall Charitable Trust, Youth Sailing at Chasewater, Lichfield Swimming Club, Whittington Wednesday Club, Clifton Campville Village Hall, 1st Burntwood Scouts, Friends2Friends, Cogs Prepares For Life, The Guild of St Mary’s, Lichfield Greenhill Bower, Girlguiding Lichfield Division, Gartmore Riding for the Disabled, Shenstone Cares Elderly Support Group, Erasmus Darwin House and Spark Burntwood.
The donation to Spark, which will be used to fund an after-school club, was extra special as it became the 200th organisation to receive We Love Lichfield funding. To mark the occasion there was a special guest to make the presentation – celebrity Debbie McGee, who is starring in Sleeping Beauty at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. 
“I am honoured and humbled to be here with you all,” said Debbie. “It is so important that we support people doing special things that we often don’t get to hear about.”
Two groups which have received We Love Lichfield grants explained how the money has helped them. Doug Morrison, of Stonnall Youth and Community Centre Association, said its grant was being used to refurbish the floor of the centre and Anna Dennison and Kevin Pudney, of Friends2Friends, a social group for people with learning difficulties, spoke of how the money was used to take service users on a trip to the seaside.
Patron Simon Price paid tribute to the organisations and individuals that have supported We Love Lichfield this year. He thanked The George Hotel for its generous hospitality and We Love Lichfield patron Julian Fisher for organising the presentation, fellow patron John Heeler for riding from Lichfield London to raise money for the cause and patron Carrie Jahn for jumping out of a plane in aid of the charity. Simon also thanked Lichfield Cathedral School Junior Choir for opening the event by singing Christmas carols. 
City travel agent RB Collection gave a £500 donation to We Love Lichfield and a cheque for £4,000 was also received, the proceeds of the Lords Taverners Dinner at Lichfield Cricket Club in the summer.
Pupils from Lichfield Cathedral School became We Love Lichfield’s youngest fund-raisers – they raised more than £1,000 this year with two “big breakfast” fundraisers and a talent show supported by The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.
WLL Lichfield Cathedral School raised £1032 for WLL during their Michaelmas term. LCS pupils Katie and Olivia present to special guest Debbie McGee and WLL’s Julian Fisher 
Lord Tavernors’ representatives donate £4000 to patron Simon Price
