16 Dec 2022 Community

Christmas comes early as Nigel and Jayne roll out the red carpet for our volunteers

One hundred volunteers from The Kirkwood were treated to a fabulous three course dinner in the run up to Christmas, courtesy of brilliant supporters Nigel Turner and Jayne Coxhead of Ten Fourteen Steakhouse and Grill in Holmfirth.

As the cold winter air draws in and festive displays flicker into life in towns and villages across our community, our bars and restaurants are gearing up for their busiest period of the year.

It’s a time when our local business owners throw all their energies into making the very most of the busy festive trade. And it’s even more important this year.

So when long-time friends and colleagues, Nigel Turner and Jayne Coxhead, decided they’d like to do something special to thank The Kirkwood’s dedicated volunteers for the amazing support they offer throughout the year, we were both humbled and delighted.

Already keen supporters of the charity, Nigel and Jayne were struck by just how much love and dedication goes into making sure The Kirkwood can continue to care for people in need; especially from our volunteers, who freely give up their time throughout the year to help, whether in our shops, at our hospice or by offering a listening ear over the telephone.

Jayne said: “Back in the Summer, Nigel and I paid a visit to The Kirkwood to present a cheque from a ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’ fundraiser we’d held for them.

“When we met the team, we felt both humbled and privileged to have been part of something so incredible, and we just felt that we needed to do something for the charity’s amazing volunteers as a BIG thank you for being so selfless in helping The Kirkwood support so many patients and families. It was our chance to say, ‘thank you for all that you do’.”

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Nigel and Jayne, who run the successful Ten Fourteen in Holmfirth, were already busy preparing for the busy Christmas period when we met with them back in August. It suddenly occurred to the pair that a nice way to pay tribute to the hard work of our volunteers, who do so much to help patients and families at the most difficult of times, was to bring them all together for a night of festive fun.

Nigel and Jayne then got busy planning exactly what this special thank you event might be, ultimately deciding to invite volunteers from right across the charity to join them in the Ten Fourteen restaurant for a free festive three course meal.

The pair hosted two fabulous special events at Ten Fourteen restaurant, on Sunday 27th and Wednesday 30th November, filling their upstairs dining space with sparkle and light to welcome The Kirkwood’s volunteers.

Representatives from many of our shops across Kirklees accepted the invitation, alongside members of our gardening, fundraising and hospice teams. Members of our Support Groups also joined in the fun, which alongside delicious home cooked food, featured entertainment and even a live pianist.

Linda Roberts, The Kirkwood’s lead gardening volunteer, and members of the gardening team were thrilled to be invited to the event.

Linda said: “We all had a lovely evening tonight. It was a truly fabulous atmosphere; the food was brilliant, and they even had a live keyboard player too!

“What a truly beautiful gesture [for Nigel, Jayne and their team] to give up their evening to look after us and serve wonderful quality food with such generosity. The whole evening brought such joy, kindness and good feeling.

“The Ten Fourteen team deserve a huge amount of recognition and many thanks from all of us.”

Another volunteer, who arrived on their own to the meal, soon made a table full of new friends.

“Thank you so very much for such a lovely evening last night. Although I came on my own, I soon made friends and spent a lovely evening chatting, sharing stories and experiences.

“The Ten Fourteen team were exemplary and made us so welcome. The food was amazing and the whole evening was such a happy event thanks to the generosity of Ten Fourteen.”

The volunteers’ praise for their hosts on the evening was unanimous.

“I attended the volunteer's meal at the Ten Fourteen last night – and what a wonderful experience it was, for myself and all the volunteers.

“The hosts, Jayne and Nigel, were charming and attentive and the staff just couldn't do enough for our wonderful volunteers. Needless to say, everyone seemed to have a lovely time!

“Please pass on my thanks to Jayne, Nigel for their generosity and please ask them to thank their staff on our behalf. On a personal basis, I will be visiting Ten Fourteen in the future.”

Jayne and Nigel are no strangers to fundraising for The Kirkwood. Back in the summer, they raised £1,000 to help us provide care for patients and families by hosting a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

Jim Coward, The Kirkwood’s Media & Marketing Manager, was keen to thank the team at Ten Fourteen for their generosity.

“On behalf of everyone connected to The Kirkwood, including our volunteers, I would like to say a big thank you to Nigel, Jayne and the whole team at Ten Fourteen for making Christmas so special for so many of our volunteers.

“Nigel and Jayne’s gesture is truly humbling. It’s a reflection of the huge regard in which our volunteers are held in the community that amazing supporters like Nigel and Jayne want to pay tribute to them in this way.

“We are immensely proud to have the support of so many volunteers, who generously give up their time to help make sure The Kirkwood are here to provide the very best care for people right across Kirklees. Without their support, our charity simply wouldn’t be able to provide the care we do.”

Ten Fourteen is a bar, steakhouse and grill located at the foot of Dunford Road in Holmfirth town centre. The venue combines plush surroundings with a friendly and welcoming vibe, creating a modern but intimate experience for guests. The restaurant team prides itself on sourcing its produce from local suppliers and using the freshest ingredients to create a true field to fork experience for diners.

If you’d like to find out more, view their Christmas menu or discover their festive event schedule, visit: tenfourteen.co.uk