IN THE LIONS DEN: FAMILY AND FRIENDS
The Foundation has had an amazing first full week in Australia as an official charity partner of the British and Irish Lions tour, made even more special by being able to share it with some of our incredible ambassadors and with the full support of the Lions themselves, writes Matt Hampson Foundation CEO Tommy Cawston.
We have been able to raise awareness of the Foundation and meet other inspirational people while also cheering the Lions to a win in the opening Test match of the series.
As well as spending time with Foundation trustees Adam and Martin, who work so hard on our behalf, a personal highlight has been sharing the experience so far with beneficiary Taylor Gough and his fiancée – and Foundation ambassador – Kylie Grimes.
I remember speaking to Taylor’s mum Kerry in the days after his accident in 2020 and to be here in Australia with him and to see at first-hand how far he has come since then has been a real honour. Alongside Matt and everyone at the Foundation, I am immensely proud of him.
Soon after landing in Brisbane, we visited Spinal Life Australia Healthy Living Centre and the Sporting Wheelies gym, where we were delighted to be joined by the British and Irish Lions CEO Ben Calveley and chairman Ieuan Evans.
We all had an incredibly warm welcome, so much so that Taylor and Kylie went back twice to train in their facility!
Later in the week, we were guests at a fundraising dinner hosted at the Tattersall’s Club which featured Foundation patron Mike Tindall and his former England colleague Lee Mears as well as Leicester Tigers legend Pat Howard and fellow Wallabies international Fletcher Dyson whose career was ended by a serious neck injury.
Ben Mosley, an ambassador of the Foundation and a long-standing supporter, did his first live painting in Australia as Official Artist of the British and Irish Lions tour there and we were bowled over by seeing so much love for the Foundation which was amazing considering we are the other side of the world.
We were invited to the Lions’ Captain’s Run, the last training run-out by the team, and it was a huge honour to be guests of the Lions at the Suncorp Stadium for the opening Test match of the series on Saturday.
Naturally, we enjoyed the game and a winning start, especially after seeing hundreds of fans wearing our Foundation promotional scrum hats as part of the #SeaofRed in the Lions Den ahead of the game. We even spotted a few in the crowd for the game.
Thank you Brisbane. On to Melbourne!
Check out our photos of the trip so far on our Lions On Tour gallery.
