Local Face: Leah Lewis

Local Aylesbury girl Leah Lewis attended Mandeville School before Aylesbury College and the University of Hertfordshire at Hatfield studying Event Management. She has put her degree to good use working for the Head Office of Haven Holidays and then a photography company in Whitchurch, before joining local Charity PACE as Community Fundraiser in their Weston Turville office in January 2016.

Leah was inspired by her uncle to apply for this job because he has been working for the charity as a physiotherapist for the past 7 years and recommended it for its positivity, supportive atmosphere and family feel. Leah was delighted to find that this is indeed the case.

Leah’s first big campaign was a sunrise expedition to Snowdon. Leah surprised herself by not only doing all the admin for it but actually participating herself. This involved 20 walkers – a mixture of staff, volunteers and corporate sponsors who left “base camp” at midnight, complete with head torches, and arrived to watch a rather cloudy sunrise at 4.20am. They were back down at the bottom of the mountain by 8am ready to devour a huge breakfast. This sponsored event raised £6½K. Leah was clearly thrilled that her first big event was such a great success and the next trip is a sunset walk on Snowdon in September.

PACE was also very pleased with the result as the charity needs £1½million to finish the Weston Turville site. The first building is dedicated to independence learning for age 18+ pupils who are about to go to university or work and also to nursery children as it is better to start conductive therapy as soon as possible after diagnosis. This is why the second building on the Weston Turville site is devoted to a relatively new initiative – PIPS – the PACE Infant & Parent Service.

PIPS gives parents access to specialist services when they need them – even before a definitive diagnosis is made because the brain is most plastic when very young so early intervention enhances the potential outcome. The service started in 2014 and moved to Weston Turville in November 2015 when the new building was opened. PIPS, for 0-5 year olds, is supported through fund raising only.

Leah feels that she is making a full contribution to a charity which gives increased life chances to the children of so many families. To support Leah’s work at PACE, please telephone 01296 616973 or email leah.lewis@thepacecentre.org.