Celebrating 15 years at the 2026 Gala Dinner
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An evening of celebration, reflection and inspiration brought together friends, partners and supporters of inspire+ to mark 15 years of creating opportunities for children and young people.
Last night, inspire+ celebrated a very special milestone as we welcomed guests to our 2026 Charity Gala Dinner.
The evening brought together businesses, partners and supporters who have played a part in our journey, giving us the opportunity to reflect on just how far inspire+ has come since 2011 and to share our ambitions for the future.
Celebrating 15 years of inspire+
Over the course of the evening, we looked back at some of the programmes, people and milestones that have shaped the last 15 years.
From our Athlete Ambassadors and leadership programmes to the Mini Olympics, apprenticeships, holiday provision and Legacy Tour, each has helped us find new ways of supporting children and young people.
The scale of that journey is something we are incredibly proud of.
Our leadership pathways have seen 3,750 young people take part in sports leadership, 3,375 become playground leaders and 3,000 become young ambassadors.
Since our apprenticeship pathway began, we have trained more than 650 apprentices, worked with over 500 employers, achieved a 100% pass rate, with 90% of apprentices remaining within the industry.
The Mini Olympics alone has welcomed 15,795 children and 3,200 volunteers, while our Legacy Tour has engaged 81,000 people.
Alongside this, our holiday provision has delivered more than 40,000 hot and healthy meals, with 40% of participants having SEND.
These figures represent 15 years of developing opportunities, building partnerships and continually adapting our work to meet the needs of children, young people and communities.
Looking towards our next chapter
The Gala Dinner wasn’t only about looking back.
Guests also heard more about the inspire+ Community Hub and our vision for its future.
The Hub represents an exciting next chapter for inspire+, creating a space where we can build on our work with children, young people and the wider community.
During the evening, we were also able to recognise some of the organisations helping us on that journey, including Allison Homes, Lindum Group, South Kesteven District Council and MV Kelly.
An evening with John Hartson
We were delighted to welcome John Hartson as our special guest speaker for the evening.
John shared stories spanning his life and football career, from growing up in Wales and representing his country to playing for clubs including Arsenal and Celtic.
The evening also explored a much more personal chapter of John’s story: his experience of cancer, his recovery and his subsequent charity involvement.
It brought a powerful personal dimension to an evening already centred around impact, resilience and looking towards the future.
Thanks for your support
Most importantly, the Gala Dinner was an opportunity to bring together and thank the people and organisations who continue to make our work possible.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, donated, purchased raffle tickets or got involved in our Silent Auction. Auction lots included Arsenal and Celtic tickets, a Celtic shirt signed by John Hartson and an unforgettable evening with the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, alongside raffle prizes donated in support of the evening.
Our thanks also go to Allison Homes for supporting the Gala Dinner, alongside the many partners, businesses and individuals whose continued backing enables our work.
We were also delighted to recognise Jensen Group Solutions and Belton Park Golf Club on the night for their fantastic fundraising efforts in support of inspire+.
Whether you have been alongside inspire+ since the beginning or have only recently become part of our story, thank you.