Thank you A.W Lymn who donated £500 from their Centenary Foundation to help the homeless this Christmas

By Donna Richardson

Secretary of the A.W Lymn Centenary Foundation, Ben J Percival, who is the great-great grandson of Arthur Lymn, founder of Nottinghamshire family funeral firm A.W. Lymn, presented a cheque from the Lymn Centenary Foundation for £500 to Falcon Support Services.

He met Falcon Support Services' CEO Marie Davis and Director of Operations Sarah Whannell at The Falcon Centre and learned that the funds will go towards sponsoring five festive beds for service users of Falcon Support Services, a charity that supports the homeless in Leicestershire.

Marie and Sarah spoke to Ben about the great work Falcon Support Services does to help the homeless at the Falcon Centre and across its projects in Loughborough and Hinckley. The money is used to assist people to get on the housing ladder and support their wellbeing as they undertake their journey towards independence.

A.W. Lymn was formed in 1907, and as part of its centenary celebrations of 2007, the company formed a charitable trust - the A. W. Lymn Centenary Foundation - which was designed to give back to the local community and surrounding area.

Ben, who is secretary of the A. W. Lymn Centenary Foundation, said: "It is a pleasure to be able to support Falcon Support Services in our donation, which allows five people to sleep in a warm, safe location over the festive period."

During its Christmas campaign, Falcon has worked tirelessly to get nine people off the street, and with funds like this it can provide shelter and support for five people. The money will go towards providing festive beds and ensuring no one will go without a Christmas present and meal this Christmas.

Marie said: “Thank you so much for this kind donation.

"A shocking statistic shows that the average life expectancy for a homeless woman is 43 and it is 45 for a man.

"This is a shocking reality that we hope we can reduce and we help people on their recovery journey so that they continue to be funded and so far we have helped more than nine people to be homed this Christmas.

"We thank the Lymn Centenary Foundation for their kind generosity.”

The Managing Director of A.W. Lymn Matthew Lymn Rose is a supporter of the homeless and has taken part in CEO sleepouts in the past.

During the Christmas campaign, Falcon Support Services has also had the support of the community and businesses as it aims to reach its £20,000 target.

If you can help please donate here.

Falcon Support Services is also looking for business champions. If you feel you can support read more here.