Michelin star chef joins board of Kids’ Village charity

Michelin Star chef Tom Shepherd (pictured above) is one of three new trustees to join the board of ambitious national charity Kids’ Village.

Shepherd, owner of Lichfield restaurant Upstairs and star of BBC’s Great British Menu, has been appointed as a trustee of the charity which is building the UK’s first holiday village to provide free breaks for critically ill children and their families.

Kids’ Village is embarking on a £5 million fundraising drive to build the magical countryside escape in Wychnor, near Lichfield, which will comprise 10 lodges and a central facility known as The Hive.

The charity was founded by Lichfield-born Sam Fletcher-Goodwin who, after battling cancer at the age of nine, had the opportunity to experience the Give Kids The World Village resort in Florida. It has since been Sam’s dream to create a similar experience for critically ill children in the UK.

Joining Shepherd on the board of trustees are Anjna Mahey, director at recruitment specialists Anderson Scott and an ambassador for Blood Cancer UK, and Jas Sandhu, relationship director at NatWest Bank.

Shepherd said: “I’m honoured to be a Trustee for Kids’ Village – it’s a wonderful charity that will create the UK’s first holiday village for critically ill children. When a child is critically ill, it affects the whole family and Kids’ Village will offer much-needed support and more importantly, a break in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside.

I am looking forward to supporting the work of the charity so we can make a real difference to families across the UK.”

The new trustee appointments were announced last night during a Kids’ Village showcase event at Birmingham city centre restaurant Fazenda.

The event provided Sam, interim CEO Paul Faulkner and Chairman Doug Wright with an opportunity to share the charity’s ambitious plans with guests and high-profile figures from across the region, including West Midlands mayor Andy Street.

Doug Wright said: “I am delighted to welcome Tom among our latest new Trustees that we have appointed at Kids’ Village. Tom is someone that I greatly admire. He is an exceptional man who has created something rather special and unique at his restaurant in Lichfield.

The city of Lichfield and the wider county of Staffordshire are lucky to have him as their first Michelin star chef. He is at the forefront of attracting visitors to the area and is undoubtedly a major catalyst in improving the reach and appeal of Lichfield.”

He added: “I’m greatly impressed how Tom wants to use his business success as a force for good to play his part in creating this much-needed Kids’ Village. Our proposed site is just a few miles from Tom’s iconic restaurant.

I look forward to Tom’s contribution as a Trustee and am sure his passion and community credentials will be invaluable to the Board of Trustees at Kids’ Village.”