On Friday 25th June, the Linkage Community Trust (Linkage) will be launching the inaugural Bateman Awards, which will be held at Batemans Brewery’s Visitors Centre in Wainfleet. Linkage is a registered charity, based in and around Lincolnshire, providing a high standard of care and specialist further education and employment services to help enable people with learning and physical disabilities to realise their full potential. George Bateman, who died in 2007, was Chairman of Batemans Brewery, the award-winning family-run, independent Lincolnshire-based Brewery, as well as Linkage’s founding Chairman. He served as the charity’s Chairman for 25 years, and these awards will mark the third anniversary of his death.

The Bateman Awards ceremony aims to reward Linkage’s college students, other service-users and staff for their achievements. The event will be attended by local businesses, public sector representatives as well as trustees, staff and other supporters of the charity. If readers would like to make a donation to Linkage, please contact the charity’s Finance Department on 01507 355112. Alternatively email: fundraising@linkage.org.uk.

George’s son, Stuart Bateman, Managing Director and daughter, Jaclyn Bateman, Marketing Director of Batemans Brewery, said:

“Linkage was really important to our father as he realised, early on, that for many people with varying degrees of learning difficulties, there was a shortage of appropriate support for them to lead creative and purposeful lives in the community. The Colleges, Employment Services and Care Services that the charity provides create the best possible opportunities for independent living for its clients. We are very proud to be invited to the first Bateman Awards launched by Linkage.”

Dr Bob Price OBE, Chief Executive of Linkage said; “It is to celebrate George’s unparalleled commitment to Linkage and to perpetuate a relationship with the Bateman family that is already almost 40 years old that the Board at Linkage has decided to host an annual Bateman Awards ceremony.”