Who Cares Wins! event kicks off tomorrow

The event aims to encourage students to explore work and careers in care, highlighting the growing range of opportunities and roles.

Hundreds of young people from across the country will be heading to Tottenham Hotspur stadium tomorrow (19 November) for the Who Care Wins! event.

The care careers conference and exhibition is organised by Hallmark Foundation with Championing Social Care.

Some 25 organisations will be exhibiting at Who Cares Wins! with many more speaking. Guest speakers include:

  • Conference MC, Bailey-Stephen Greetham-Clark, who leads Be Great Fitness
  • Avnish Goyal CBE, chair of Hallmark Foundation and Championing Social Care, on being a care entrepreneur
  • Oonagh Smith, chief executive of Skills for Care, which supports the adult care workforce
  • Jermaine Harris, one of the country’s leading motivational presenters
  • Nye Brown, managing director of Hallmark Luxury Care Homes, about his career path
  • Young people already working in the care sector including Charlie Lebatt, Lily Patrick, Tamuka Muvevi and Veiz Cani
  • Anita Goyal MBE, chair of the Goyal Foundation, on next steps for young people and follow-ups to the event
  • With a special message from Beth England, Tottenham Hotspur women’s captain and Lioness
  • Breakout sessions will be led by UpFront Theatre, Dudley Sawyer, Lee Gilbert, Simran Sehmi and Isabelle Latham
Welcoming students to Who Cares Wins!, Avnish and Anita Goyal will say: “Social care is vital to everyone – all of us will need care or become caregivers ourselves at some point in our lives. The demand for care is only set to grow.

“With the increasing needs of older and disabled adults, it’s predicted that in the next decade there will be at least half a million new jobs in this rapidly expanding sector.

“And it’s not just frontline care—there are roles across hospitality, technology, finance, HR, PR, and many more. That’s why this event is so important—it marks the start of real change.

“We hope following Who Cares Wins! that young people will feel empowered, inspired and informed about what a career in social care really looks like.

“We need people who are passionate, dedicated, and caring and want to make a real difference. Young people who care will win!”

Who Cares Wins! is set to take place tomorrow at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Photo credit: Hzh, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Anita Goyal previews Care Sector Fundraising Ball 2024

Words by Anita Goyal MBE, Hallmark Foundation and Championing Social Care trustee and chair of the Care Sector Fundraising Ball, 2018-2023.

As the Care Sector Fundraising Ball prepares for its fifth outing at the end of September, it’s a chance to reflect on how the event has grown and developed into a major fixture in the social care calendar. The first four Balls have raised some £1.2 million in total for charities and 2024 promises to be the biggest and best yet.

It seems a long time ago when my husband Avnish and I organised the first Ball in 2018 – when Championing Social Care and the Hallmark Foundation were just twinkles in our eyes. A second Ball followed in 2019 before Covid intervened and meant that 2020 and 2021 were fallow years.

But we bounced back in 2022, raising a record sum of just over £400k for two charities: Care Workers Charity and Alzheimer’s Society. Only for that record to be smashed again in 2023 with £426k raised for the same two charities.

For me, there have been several highlights over the last six years.

First, the Ball has brought together an ever widening group of social care professionals and supporters with a common cause: to have a good time, network with like-minded colleagues old and new, and raise substantial sums for charity. The Ball was the first flagship event of Championing Social Care and it’s now one of several annual programmes run by the growing charity.

Second, the Ball and its development have only been possible through excellent teamwork, bringing together a wide range of people from different parts of the sector with complementary skills and knowledge. I have made many great friends through organising the Ball.

Third, the fact that people return to the Ball year after year is testament to the quality of the event and how it gets better every year attracting more and more guests. Excellent, fun entertainment and dancing; wonderful Indian food and service; great networking; opportunities for all to give from auctions to prize draws; and record sums raised every year.

Fourth, of course the main purpose of the event is to support two fantastic charities. In 2024 they will be Care Workers Charity again and Marie Curie for the first time, along with a number of small charities. It really is the care sector giving back to those who need help the most.

For all these reasons and more, Hallmark Foundation is proud to support the 2024 Ball as its founding partner. Everyone is guaranteed a wonderful evening while raising more funds for care charities.

And the Ball is a prime example of the difference that Championing Social Care makes, shining a positive light on social care. More people from within the care sector and beyond are joining the partnership to promote all that is good about care and how we make a difference day in day out for so many older people and people with a disability in the UK.

Come to the Ball on 28 September to find out more and see why it’s my favourite event of the year.

Anita Goyal MBE reveals her formula for finding happiness while working in care

Anita Goyal MBE revealed she relies on a four-point formula for achieving happiness and celebrated the impact of female “change-makers” on the industry at this week’s Leading Women in Care Awards event.

Mrs Goyal, who is chair of the Hallmark Foundation and an award-winning philanthropist, author and community champion, kicked off the event at London’s Pullman St Pancras Hotel by calling for more women to own, run, and manage businesses in social care.

Despite an 85% female workforce in the care sector, women are still underrepresented in leadership.

Mrs Goyal drew attention to the challenges women face today, being pulled in more directions than ever before.

She applauded the women in the room for being change-makers, not just professionally but leaders at home and beyond.

“Each of us is driven by a deep sense of purpose: to uplift, to serve, and to create meaningful change. We need to do much more to ensure that care is better valued, rewarded and funded.”

“We also need to recognise the challenges of a largely female workforce. Like our population, the care workforce is aging, with many due to retire in the next decade. Many will also be caring for their own family members, they may be experiencing menopause and the impact that has on their health. Yet they continue to do one of the most demanding jobs in our society for relatively low pay.”

Anita Goyal with her husband Avnish, chair of the Hallmark Care Homes Foundation, at the 2025 Leading Women in Care Awards
Anita Goyal with her husband Avnish, chair of the Hallmark Care Homes Foundation, at the 2025 Leading Women in Care Awards

Amongst these competing focuses, Mrs Goyal encouraged attendees to return to one question: ‘what does happiness look like for you?’

For her, it is found in a formula that she calls ‘G to the power of four equals happiness.’

The formula is made up of four key elements: growth, giving, gratitude, and goals.

Mrs Goyal explained: “Growth is a process of learning and evolving. Giving is at the heart of what we do in social care; it isn’t just about financial contributions, it’s about how we give with impact via time and talent too. Gratitude shifts our mindset, helping us to appreciate what we have and find meaning in the small moments in life and turn challenges into lessons. Finally, goals give us direction, focus and momentum.

“However, this shouldn’t just be about achievement. Our goals should align with what we truly believe fulfils us. I encourage us all to keep coming back to the question: are my goals feeding my soul, or just my schedule?”

A common theme in discussions at the Leading Women in Care Awards 2025 was the need for women to uplift themselves; only in doing so, Mrs Goyal said, can you uplift and care for those around you.

“We don’t just lead, we thrive, and when we thrive, our teams, our communities, and the people we serve also flourish. As inspirational women in care, we are more than just leaders, we are change-makers.”

Closing her keynote speech, she added: “Together, there’s a lot that we can do to promote women working and leading in care, and today is about celebrating the achievements of our women peers in this space. It’s about using our voices to encourage future female leaders, and holding mindful space for our own happiness and goals as women in this busy and exciting sector.

“We recognise and acknowledge women’s many contributions to care today around International Women’s Day, and we should continue to do so every day.”

Hallmark Foundation appoints three new trustees

Three new trustees have been appointed to the board of Hallmark Care Homes Foundation to help with its work on ageing well and improving the quality of care. The charity funds research and innovation and works with partners to maximise its impact.