Celebrity chefs raise £22,000 for charity challenge

A mix of celebrities, chefs, athletes and senior executives raised a massive £22,000 in a charity challenge on Wednesday (17 June) to help disadvantaged young people in work.

The runners were started off by former 400m athlete John Regis, and medals were handed out in Galvin at Windows restaurant at the top of the hotel by Ken Livingstone.

Contestants included former England footballer Graeme Le Saux, chef Michel Roux junior and several of Sky One's Gladiators. They all made it around the Mayfair Park and Tower Race course – a 4.5 km sprint around the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park followed by a gruelling tower run up 28 floors to the top of the London Hilton on Park Lane.

The male race was won by amateur triathlete Peter Slijkhuis in 19 minutes and 32 seconds, while former 800m Olympian Jo Fenn (nee Mersh) came first out of the female runners. She said: "This race is so unique and special- it really reflects London, and running for Galvin's chance has given me the chance to raise money for a great, great cause. It's helping people help themselves to learn and be inspired. Every step taken is a step closer to helping someone who needs that second chance in life. "

The goal of the event was to raise £30,000 in sponsorship for a new charity apprenticeship programme called Galvin's Chance which will offer a series of apprenticeships in some of London's finest hotels for disadvantaged young people.

The project has been initiated by Hilton in the Community Foundation – Hilton's charitable arm which has a focus on helping disadvantaged young people - and the Galvin at Windows restaurant, the finish point for the race.

Speaking at the event, Graeme Le Saux said: "If anyone was wondering I can confirm that tower racing is not an easy sport to take part in! Nonetheless this race has been a fantastic means of kick starting a very important charity initiative. Gavin's Chance will give a group of young people an amazing opportunity to develop their talents and to change their lives for the better. It is a real pleasure to be involved in the project and I'm looking forward to seeing its goals realised."

Galvin commented on his reasons behind supporting the charity: "Everyone knows how difficult it is to find a job, especially in the current climate, and for some of London's young people this is made even harder by a lack of qualifications and experience.

"Many of these young people are completely unaware of what options are available to them.  Galvin's Chance is a means of helping them get the training and confidence they need in order to find work within the restaurant industry."

By working with other key partners such as the Solve This Ongoing Problem (STOP) campaign and The Emmanuel Youth Project, Galvin's Chance will engage with young people through a youth worker referral process. Once the initial group of 20 young people has been found they will start an introductory training programme in August run by Springboard and tailored to equip them with all the skills they need to succeed.

They will then have the opportunity to be placed as apprentices at a series of top-end establishments around London in September, including Galvin at Windows at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

All participants will also engage in training at Westminster Kingsway College as part of the programme. The Apprenticeship will take up to 12 months to complete and the college courses should lead to an NVQ Level 2.

Words: Maria Bracken

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