Events industry charity Meeting Needs has made a £1,200 donation to Mary Ann Evans Hospice in memory of Chris Peacock, co-founder of Conference Care and a former Chair of both Meeting Needs and the HBAA.
The donation recognises Chris’s longstanding contribution to Meeting Needs, his commitment to charitable causes and the significant role he played across the wider meetings and events industry.
Chris, who co-founded Conference Care in 1995, was a prominent and highly respected figure within the sector. Alongside building the business, he devoted considerable time and energy to supporting the industry and its charitable activities, serving as Chair and Treasurer of the HBAA – now beam – as well as Chair of Meeting Needs. Conference Care records that Chris helped to raise more than £100,000 for charitable causes through his industry roles.
Chris died in June 2023. Mary Ann Evans Hospice supported Chris and his family during the final months of his life, making the Nuneaton-based charity an especially fitting beneficiary of this donation.
Lene Corgan, Chair of Meeting Needs, said: “Chris gave an enormous amount to Meeting Needs and to the wider events industry. He brought energy, commitment and generosity to everything he did, and his determination to use our industry as a force for good continues to be remembered by those who worked alongside him.
“Making this donation to Mary Ann Evans Hospice, which supported Chris and his family, feels a particularly appropriate way for Meeting Needs to recognise his contribution. We hope that, in a small way, it will also help the Hospice continue to provide that same care and support to other people and their families.”
Mary Ann Evans Hospice provides personalised care and support to people living with life-limiting illnesses across Nuneaton, Bedworth and North Warwickshire. Its services include Hospice at Home, 24-hour Rapid Response care, wellbeing services and family and bereavement support. The Hospice relies heavily on charitable support to deliver its services, with only around 24% of its funding coming through the NHS.
The donation also reflects the values Chris championed during his time with Meeting Needs. The charity provides grants to organisations and projects in the UK and overseas, using funds raised by people and businesses across the meetings and events industry to improve lives and communities. Chris is pictured running with Flowella Hancox in the Royal Parks Half Marathon, raising cash for Meeting Needs.
To find out how you can work with Meeting Needs contact Margaret Mann at mmann@meetingneeds.org.uk
