PRESS RELEASE: 13/8/16
Lizzie Jones recognised by Women of the Year
Lizzie will join over 400 women from all walks of life at the Women of the Year Lunch as a ‘2016 Woman of Achievement’. Each guest is regarded as a ‘Woman of the Year’ and represents not only herself, but the millions of women who make a difference every day.
Lizzie is attending in celebration of her work spearheading a new campaign to raise funds for equipment that could prove the difference between life and death at Rugby League clubs across the UK. Lizzie, who reduced a Wembley crowd to tears and moved millions of TV viewers with an emotional performance at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, launched the Danny Jones Defibrillator Fund named in honour of her late husband, a Keighley Cougars and Wales international half-back who collapsed and died from an undiagnosed heart condition while playing against London Skolars last May. Following his tragic death, Lizzie successfully campaigned for cardiac screening to become mandatory at every Kingstone Press Championship and League 1 club, as it already is in the First Utility Super League. Now, Lizzie has joined forces with the RFL Benevolent Fund to raise money to create a fund that will provide assistance to hundreds of community clubs and junior teams across the country to purchase a defibrillator. To make a donation please visit www.rflbenevolentfund.co.uk or visit www.justgiving.com/danny-jones-defibrillator-fund
The fund is administered by the RFL Benevolent Fund, the sport’s charity, Rugby League Cares, and supported by the WelMedical Group.
Lizzie comments, “It is such an honour to be named as a Woman Of The Year. The Danny Jones Defibrillator Fund is is my way of saying a big ‘Thank You’ to the wider Rugby League family for all they have done for me and my children since we lost Danny. I want the Fund to be a platform to help the wider sporting community too, so to receive this Women Of The Year recognition alongside so many impressive, inspirational women doing such great work for their families and communities is truly thrilling.”
This year’s event will take place on Monday 17 October 2016 at the InterContinental Hotel, Park Lane, London.
Previous attendees of the Women of the Year Lunch have included: Nicole Kidman, Fern Britton, Professor Mary Beard, Mel Giedroyc, Nadiya Hussein, Sally Lindsay, Lindsay Lohan, Ellen MacArthur, Eimear McBride, Lulu, Dame Harriet Walter, Julie Walters CBE and Dame Jacqueline Wilson.
Women of the Year has recognised, celebrated and inspired women of all backgrounds since 1955 and continues to shine a light on extraordinary women through an annual Lunch and Awards ceremony, Lecture and on-going foundation work.
Sandi Toksvig, President of Women of the Year, said: “I’m looking forward to welcoming all our guests and winners to the Women of the Year Lunch & Awards in London this October. I would love to show the room to every schoolgirl growing up in Britain today and tell them ‘you can be whatever you want to be: just look at these incredible women.’”
Exceptional women will receive special awards at the Lunch for being an inspiration to others, demonstrated by their courage, selflessness and dedication. These special Women of the Year Awards are sponsored by Barclays, DFS, Good Housekeeping, ITV’s Lorraine and Prudential and will be announced on Monday 17 October 2016.Recent Women of the Year winners include:
- Kris Hallenga, breast cancer awareness campaigner and co-founder of Coppafeel!
- Jayne Senior MBE, Rotherham sexual abuse whistle-blower
- Baroness Doreen Lawrence, campaigner for justice following the murder of her son Stephen
- Fahma Mohammed, anti-FGM activist
- Christina Noble, founder of The Christina Noble Children’s Foundation
- Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Astrophysicist
- Katie Piper, who set up a charity to help burns survivors after being victim of a brutal acid attack
For more information about Women of the Year visit: www.womenoftheyear.co.uk/
For interview requests or for more information about Lizzie Jones and Women of the Year Lunch & Awards please contact, Four Colman Getty: 020 3697 4200 / Womenoftheyear@fourcolmangetty.com
www.facebook.com/womenoftheyear
@womenofyear #womenoftheyear60