The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester has partnered with Leicester City Football Club’s CEO and the Bishop of Leicester to champion and celebrate Leicester’s community spirit this weekend. They are being supported by a whole host of different personalities, important people and organisations, from the Curve Theatre’s Artistic Director, Nikolai Foster, and the spokesperson of the Federation of Muslim Organisations, Suleman Nagdi, to former professional cricketer and broadcaster, Jonathan Agnew, and LCFC legend, Gary Lineker.
This partnership has been dubbed as Together in Hope. Headed by Professor Nishan Cangarajah, Susan Whelan the CEO of LCFC, and The Rt Revd Martyn Snow, the goal is to highlight messages of encouragement and the many acts of kindness and concern for one another that we have seen during lockdown.
Utilising the hashtags #TogetherInHope and #WeAreLeicester, this coalition of Leicester personalities and community leaders have invited anyone with connections to the city and county to tell the world all about the greatness of Leicester, emphasising our strength and perseverance in the wake of this current challenge.
Some suggestions on how to celebrate the city of Leicester include producing a piece of artwork, poetry, a film, or to just show your support by taking a photo with the Together in Hope branding.
Professor Nishan Canagarajah, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Leicester said: “Leicester is an incredible city. There is so much diversity and unity in one place. It has the world at your doorstep.
“I am proud of Leicester and it is one of the reasons why I want to champion this great initiative, Together in Hope, to ensure we come out of this lockdown stronger and more united.
“It’s more important now than ever to shine a light on what is great about our city. Together we can be a beacon of hope for others.”
Susan Whelan Leicester City Football Club Chief Executive, said: “Leicester is a truly special place, whose diverse and passionate community has been both the backdrop and the inspiration for some of the city’s finest achievements.
“As we’ve seen throughout this pandemic, it’s also a community that comes together to support each other when support is most needed, which gives me great confidence that we can overcome the current challenges and emerge from the lockdown stronger than ever before.”
Don’t forget to show your support via social media using the #TogetherInHope and #WeAreLeicester tags.
By Sam Ellison
