Page 46 - Old Ratcliffian 2020 Edition

Clock Tower. While I was waiting to go business club in Leicester. We now have 30
on air, I looked across at the McDonald’s amazing members, and the club is all about
that was, basically, the main part of my philanthropy, reciprocity, and abundance.
Ratcliffe social life between the ages of 13 We enhance businesses and raise their
OR NEWS glamorous, I edited my piece for the Ten our unique networking opportunities. Our
and 15. Then, for anyone who thinks TV is
profi les within the community through
O’Clock News in the Shires (Highcross) car
coaching programme encourages both
park. A few days later, there was another
strange Ratcliffe coincidence, when I was personal and business growth, all while
holding each member accountable, to
interviewed on BBC Radio Leicester by the minimise procrastination. We host big
lovely Ben Jackson (88). online Zoom events for anyone in the UK
to attend, to help them grow and develop
Catherine Burns (96): “In January, I got a Away from work, there’s real life. I’ve had their mindset. Our guests have included
call from the BBC News Health team. They close family getting sick with COVID. rugby professional Greg Bateman, who
were very busy working on reports about And then there’s home-schooling. I work spoke about resilience, and Rosemary
a virus affecting people in Wuhan, China, part-time, so on my days off, I was doing Conley CBE (pictured, below), who talked
and asked if they could ‘borrow me’ from phonics and number bonds with my kids. about 10 things that she has learnt in
my usual department for a week or so to I’ve loved having all of the extra time with business over the years.
help out. I’m still there now, having spent them, but I’m defi nitely not cut out to
the year as a BBC health correspondent teach. My husband is much better than me,
covering coronavirus. We’re working on and he managed it with a full-time job, too.
this single story, but trying to cover every When I look back on 2020 in the future, I’ll
angle. There’s the science: the virus itself, mostly think how much I missed my mum
testing, face coverings, and developments and dad; I hate not being able to see them
in treatments and vaccines. There’s as often as I’m used to. I’m 100 miles from
politics, and the economy. But, at the heart Leicestershire, but sometimes, it seems
of it are people, ranging from those who like an impossible distance.”
don’t have any symptoms to patients who
get scarily sick. Survivors who spent weeks I have lots of exciting things planned for
on ventilators and bereaved relatives. NHS Alex Slack (née Gamble) (03): “So, 2021. The launch of the Inner Circle is
staff and care workers. 2020 for me has been...different. At the scheduled for January. This will be aimed at
beginning of lockdown, I was invited to join driven and successful people, by invite only,
While I’ve been talking about it all on TV, Ben Jackson (88), Association President, who will receive access to exclusive lifestyle
some of my Ratcliffe friends are doctors Old Ratcliffi an, and parent, on his BBC events. We will also be launching the Circle
who have been out there dealing with it in radio show, where I discussed my top 10 Club Foundation, so that we can donate
reality. I’ve had lots of helpful conversations tips for coping during lockdown. Due to money to not-for-profi t organisations and
with Georgette Oni (96) and Georgina COVID-19, this interview was done over charities in the area. The plan is to expand
Meredith (96). I have so much respect for the phone; it was great to be featured, into Nottingham by the spring of 2021, and
them, and for all of the healthcare workers, and Ben and I shared our usual banter! then into Derby towards the second half
who have been incredible this year. As a My business, The House of LM, was going of the year. Despite all of the challenges
journalist, it’s been a strange privilege well, and I had an array of events planned that have arisen in 2020, I have managed
and responsibility working on such a huge, for 2020, including exhibitions, incentive to pivot both my business and my mindset,
generation-defi ning story. One of the travel, celebrity weddings, and trips to and turn negatives into positives. I love the
most bizarre parts of those early days was Saudi Arabia to work on music festivals. fact that I have been able to help so many
being classed as a key worker, and having Who was to know that COVID-19 would businesses in Leicestershire during these
to go to the Central London newsroom strike, and effectively wipe out 75% of my diffi cult times; we are all just getting used
when most other people were having to business? However, with every big disaster to a new way of working. I hope that all Old
stay at home. I spent (rare) lunch breaks comes opportunity, and I decided to launch Ratcliffi ans have managed to stay safe,
walking through a deserted Oxford Circus a business plan earlier than expected. survive, and pivot if they have got their
and Carnaby Street. It was eery. The closed own businesses. I certainly miss working
shop windows were still full of Easter at Ratcliffe, not to mention all the lovely
Bunny displays as summer started. It’s Old Ratcliffi ans that I used to speak to on
been a time packed full of emotion, and so a daily basis. It really is a special place, and
I’ve defi nitely had my fair share of online I always jump at the opportunity to go and
trolls criticising everything about me. pick up my nieces and nephews from the
It’s about as fun as you’d expect. But I’ve school whenever I can.”
also achieved things at work that I never
thought I would get to do.
Tuesday 6th October was not so signifi cant
In the summer, Leicester became a huge for most of us, but for Charlie Slack, aged
part of the story. One Sunday, I got a call seven, it marked his 200th day of running
from the news desk asking me to get up the The Circle Club was initially meant to be a a mile a day for charity. Charlie’s mum is OR
M1 as quickly as possible to report on an virtual private members club for individuals and former Ratcliffi an Association Manager
imminent local lockdown. My fi rst priority to enjoy. However, in June 2020, this Alex Slack (née Gamble) (03). Charlie
was a live report from near Leicester’s changed, and it became a private members started his challenge on March 21st 2020,
46 The Old Ratcliffi an 2020