On Friday, 18th October 2024, Amar Latif OBE inspired an audience at the Bourne Corn Exchange for the 2024 Len Pick Memorial Evening.

Amar spoke about his determination to live life to the full, despite being blind since the age of eighteen. He spoke about his travels across the world, featuring on the BBC’s Beyond Boundaries documentary, and later how he founded his own company, Traveleyes, which takes blind and sighted travellers on journeys across the planet.

The evening was hosted by Tracy Hulme, who held a fireside chat with Amar in the second part of the evening. Here, the audience learnt more about his career as an accountant at BT, and how he uses technology to assist him in every day life.

We were also pleased to be joined by the Bourne Grammar School’s Chamber Choir, who gave an uplifting performance to start the evening.

Earlier in the afternoon, Amar visited the Bourne Willoughby School, where he spoke to pupils who also live with visual impairments.

 

A grant recently awarded by the Len Pick Trust has enabled Evergreen Care Trust to expand its befriending service in Bourne, providing much needed care to isolated older people in our community.

Ed Bailey, Volunteer Services Manager at Evergreen Care Trust, said “The Len Pick Trust’s grant has enabled us to maintain and increase Evergreen’s Befriending service in Bourne, supporting some of the most isolated older people in our community. We have been able to recruit and train new volunteer Befrienders and match with Befriendees who have become alone due to many different reasons such as being housebound due to ill health, bereavement, lack of transport, relocation or due to having no family or friends locally. A mutually beneficial friendship can be life changing for Befriendees and also very fulfilling for the volunteer Befriender.”

 

May be an image of text

A grant from the Len Pick Trust has enabled Bourne Baptist Church to create a new sensory room for babies and toddlers.
Mihaela Jones from the Bourne Baptist Church said: “We are so grateful for Len Pick who supported us (Bourne Baptist Church) with a generous grant which as enabled us to upgrade one of our rooms (from a storage room) to a beautiful new sensory playroom for babies and toddlers.
The Len Pick Trust have been really friendly and helpful and we appreciate their help in supporting this project! This lovely sensory playroom will benefit the
Bourne community through our weekly toddler group on a Tuesday (all are welcome) at 9.30am and will support our young families who attend our Sunday
church gatherings. Thank you Len Pick!”
Check out these before and after photographs from Twenty Village Hall, which has been given a new lease of life thanks to some new double-glazed windows and doors!
The hall has not been in regular public use for some years, but a new committee is aiming to change that and the Len Pick Trust was pleased to support them by awarding a grant to fund the installation of new windows and doors at the building. This, alongside some more refurbishment works, will enable the building to be enjoyed by the local community once again.
May be an image of the Cotswolds
No photo description available.

A recent grant from the Len Pick Trust has enabled Bourne Arts and Community Trust to upgrade the CCTV systems at Wake House Community And Business Facility.

 

The new system helps to keep this much-loved community facility safe and secure, also offering reassurance to user groups who are in the building alone.

 

May be an image of 1 person, television and text

 

No photo description available.

It’s great to see the improvements that Bourne Cricket Club have made over the summer. A grant from the Len Pick Trust has supported the provision of a new reversible sight screen, meaning the club can continue to host county, regional and club matches more easily.
The club also used the grant to support the laying of a second non-turn net surface at the southern end of the ground, which has been transformational to the club’s coaching provision.
Well done Bourne Cricket Club, and we look forward to seeing the next phase of your planned improvements over the coming months!
May be an image of tennis player, golf, football, grass and golf course
No photo description available.
May be an image of speaker

The Len Pick Trust was deeply saddened to learn that Adrian Smith, our former Trust Manager, passed away earlier this week.

Adrian was a Founding Trustee, and then went on to serve as Trust Manager until his retirement last October. He was well respected within the community, and we know that many people will have benefitted from Adrian’s boundless enthusiasm and dedication to town life.

The Len Pick Trust has supported hundreds of community projects and organisations since its inception in 2006, and great credit must be given to Adrian for his stewardship and guidance of the Trust which has enabled it to support the community in this way.

Trustees join the local community in sending our deepest condolences to Adrian’s family.

Earlier in the summer, Christian’s Against Poverty UK used a grant from The Len Pick Trust to host an event for clients in the Bourne area, with around 60 people enjoying an address from an inspirational speaker. They’ve also used their grant to deliver their CAP money coaching course at the Bourne Baptist Church.
It’s great to see the work this charity is doing to support our local community.
No photo description available.
The East Midlands Tornadoes mixed netball club took part in their first Netball Nationals at the end of August, proudly wearing their new kit which was funded by a grant from the Len Pick Trust.
Lorna Clayden, Head Coach for the club, said: ‘The mixed netball club took part in their first Netball Nationals on 23-25th August 2024. This was made possible by much support from local businesses and people. The Len Pick Trust came forward immediately with a very generous donation to help buy the kit, this was totally amazing for us . It was hard work and the team worked hard to earn their place and we will be returning next year to get a higher ranking . We can’t thank you all enough for supporting the team . Thank you!’
No photo description available.
No photo description available.

We have had another successful season in the Len Pick owl tower.

Two chicks have successfully fledged and will soon be on their way to finding their own area to live in away from the adults.

Our original four eggs produced two healthy chicks. The weather has meant a lack of prey particularly field voles so our parent birds have done really well.

We look forward with optimism to next year.

In the meantime, the camera will be switched off ready for maintenance work.