Founders of Lunya restaurant and deli, Elaine Kinsella and her husband Peter have been named as our Fundraisers of the Year for their incredible work on behalf of our charity.
This is the second time that the duo has been named winners of the award, after jointly receiving the title in 2022.
Elaine has been an innovator in finding new and effective ways to raise funds for our charity, enlisting the support of customers in the couple’s Liverpool restaurants to contribute to the cost of research into blood cancers.
She and Peter, together with all their staff, raised £15,000 for LMRUK in 2022 by inviting customers of the Lunya and Lunyalita restaurants to add a pound to their bill every time they ate there. The initiative raised £7,500, generously matched by the couple themselves, making a total of £15,000.
The success of the scheme prompted them to keep going, adding a further £7,657 to the pot, which was presented to our charity earlier this year.
Elaine’s fundraising journey began after she was diagnosed with Myeloma following a routine blood test in 2021. She underwent initial treatment, then had a stem cell transplant in October of that year and came up with the fundraising idea while in recovery.
Elaine said: “Peter and I are really happy to have been given this recognition for raising funds for such a good cause. I am currently receiving second line treatment for Myeloma and so have personal experience of how challenging a blood cancer diagnosis can be, but I am convinced that research into developing more treatments is the best way forward – this gives me hope for the future.
“We could not have raised the money we have without the help of our wonderful customers at the two restaurants. It has been a real team effort with all our staff and very fitting in the year that our business became an Employee Owned Trust.”
Dr Joanna Tilley, Operations Director at LMRUK, said that the award was in recognition of the money raised by Elaine – and the creative ways she had found to bring in funding for the charity.
She added: “Elaine is a star. Fundraising is challenging in the current economic climate with household budgets tight. To get this kind of support from Elaine, her husband, staff, and their restaurant customers is a real boost for LMRUK and we are so grateful for their efforts.”
