Sainsbury’s master butcher Julien Pursglove has been appointed as the new festival chairman of the Butchers’ and Drovers’ Charitable Institution (BDCI), succeeding Steve Crosby, chairman of Riverway Foods Ltd.
The BDCI provides support for those in the UK and the Republic of Ireland who have been connected in any way with the meat trade, as well as their widows/widowers or dependents. It can provide support for a variety of needs including paying bills, repairs to the home, mobility equipment and nursing home fees.
“I would like to thank Steve for all his endeavours in raising funds for the BDCI during his year in office,” Pursglove said. “Steve has worked tirelessly on behalf of those less fortunate than ourselves within the meat industry who find themselves on hard times for various reasons, through no fault of their own.
“One of the challenges the BDCI faces is identifying potential beneficiaries, so this year we are taking a series of initiatives to raise the profile of the charity, what it represents to our industry and communicate to a wider general audience that help is available,” Pursglove continued.
“Fundraising is a priority and the Annual Festival Dinner and charity auction at the Grosvenor Hotel in London remains the highlight of the calendar year for the meat industry, plus there are plans afoot for a number of other fundraising events.”
Crosby added: “We are delighted that Julien has agreed to be this year’s festival chairman, this will be the first time we have had a chairman from the retail sector.
“In my year of office I have seen at first hand the incredible generosity of our industry and I’m sure Julien will be shown the same level of support.”
The BDCI’s annual Golf Day will take place at Surrey Downs Golf Course on 21st September. Its Festival Dinner will be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 20th October.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
