Encouraging the LGBTQ+ community to find out more about fostering. A foster carer is encouraging other members of the LGBTQ+ community to come forward and find out more about the different fostering roles. Tristham is sharing his experiences about the fostering process which ultimately led him to look after an ‘amazing’ child who has come on leaps and bounds while in his care. His story is being shared by Leicestershire County Council as part of LGBTQ+ Fostering and Adoption Week (March 6-12). Tristham, who has fostered along with his partner, Mark, said: “The LGBTQ+ is a small but growing community and it needs to be shared that it’s accepted and encouraged for members to be foster carers. “We’re proud to say the child we have in our care is doing really well. The kid is amazing and a completely different person from when they first came to us.” Speaking about the application process, he added: “The lady I spoke to was easy to talk to, she asked lots about my experience and background. It was really simple and easy - I had no problems. I remember logging in online and sending my details through, and I got a call only a few days later! “I didn’t expect it to be as in-depth as it was! In the sense of, it’s about finding out everything about you, speaking to employers, having a DBS check, etc, but it was all fine! “I have a fostering background, my parents fostered from when I was 17, so I have knowledge of fostering already, whereas my other half doesn’t have that experience. “That’s why it’s great to be part of the foster carer groups, such as the locality groups that meet regularly, and the private Facebook groups for foster carers – they’re great places to share and find information. “For those thinking about fostering, I want to assure you, there’s nothing wrong with asking! Any information can be given to you to help support you in finding out more about fostering and if it would suit your lifestyle and experience. “I do think that there’s a misconception that when you foster it has to be a long-term placement. When I speak to other people, I feel like they don’t know there are more options available, people need to know about the different ways they can foster, from respite - giving carers or relatives a break - to parent and child, and much more!” With record numbers of looked-after children across the UK, and around 700 children and young people in Leicestershire alone, there’s never been a greater need for people to consider fostering. Councillor Deborah Taylor, cabinet member of children and families said: “ We encourage diversity and inclusion and want to make the pool of available parents as wide as possible for the many children in our care in Leicestershire. “We recognise the ever-increasing need for more of the LGBTQ+ community to explore both fostering and adoption and are particularly encouraging the community to find out more." - The county council’s fostering recruitment team will be popping their stall up at Fosse Park, during LGBTQ+ Fostering and Adoption Week, outside Holland and Barret, on Thursday 9 March, to talk to prospective foster carers, and are particularly encouraging those from the LGBTQ+ community to come and have a chat. For more information about becoming a foster carer, call Leicestershire County Council’s fostering recruitment team on 0116 305 0505, visit the Fostering Leicestershire website.

Residents at a care home in Quorn enjoyed a royal celebration fit for a king. Care UK’s Lonsdale Mews, on Farley Way, welcomed families and community friends to mark the King’s Coronation by hosting a special coronation-themed afternoon tea dance. Guests received the royal treatment, with live entertainment from Kieran Sutcliffe, a Britain’s Got Talent finalist, who performed songs from across the decades throughout the event – getting everyone in the party spirit. Celebrating in true British style, the team at Lonsdale Mews decorated the home’s garden with knitted coronation bunting and decorations hand made by residents during crafts sessions at the home. The care team also hosted their very own ‘royal crown-off’ competition, where residents showed off their carefully crafted crowns as they competed for the title of best crown. Families donned their expert judging hats and put their art inspecting skills to the test as they decided on a worthy winner for the best coronation-themed crown. Everyone was treated to a quintessentially British afternoon tea, complete with a classic Victoria sponge and scones with cream and jam, whipped up by the home’s head chef, and clinked their teacups in honour of King Charles. Toby Sturgess, Home Manager at Lonsdale Mews, said: “We loved welcoming relatives and community friends into the home to enjoy the royal treatment as we marked this historic occasion. “The King’s Coronation gave us the perfect opportunity to get together with loved ones and to toast to the new monarch. The coronation of the King is an event that is sure to be remembered for years to come, and here at Lonsdale Mews, we are proud to be a part of the royal festivities. “It was wonderful to have the Lonsdale Mews family all together for a regally good afternoon – judging by the smiles on everyone’s faces, it was a huge success!!” Lonsdale Mews offers full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite. The home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hairdressing salon and café. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.

Three Leicestershire Building Societies Unite to Tackle Cost of Living Crises and Support Local Communities Hinckley & Rugby Building Society, Market Harborough Building Society and Melton Building Society, have joined forces to support local community projects across Leicestershire. The partnership aims to help the local community by working with different charities and organisations, donating money, and facilitating assistance and advice to those in need. This year, the three building societies have chosen to support The Bridge East Midlands, a homeless charity that provides accommodation and support services to homeless people in Leicestershire. The Building Societies have each donated £15,000 to The Bridge East Midlands to fund the hiring of a Housing Adviser who will offer advice and guidance to anyone that needs it. The Housing Adviser will be easily accessible to the community being based on the high streets of all three Building Society towns. The partnership between the Building Societies represents a shared goal to help get people on to the housing ladder and achieve their dream homes, but in this case, they are coming together to support those who are worried about the ability to pay their mortgage or are experiencing difficulties due to changed circumstances or the cost-of-living crises.The service will be free to access for all. On behalf of the three Societies: "We are delighted to be partnering to support The Bridge East Midlands. We believe that the work they do is important in providing support and accommodation to homeless people in Leicestershire. We hope that our donation and the expertise of the newly appointed Housing Adviser will make a real difference in the lives of those who need it the most." Anna Maudsley from The Bridge East Midlands, says: “We are delighted to have received this significant funding as it enables us to increase our service by another three days a week across the county for this year, offering specialist advice, information and guidance to prevent homelessness and supporting our mission to develop sustainable housing solutions for individuals and communities through partnership, empowerment and good practice which is an increasing priority during this cost of living crisis.” For free specialist housing advice and assistance with homelessness call The Bridge on 0800 038 5964.

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews has issued a statement in response to the ongoing protest at UAV Tactical Systems in Braunstone. He said: "I am concerned by the disruption that has taken place in recent days at UAV Tactical Systems in Braunstone. "This protest has required significant policing resources to manage, and many officers and staff have cancelled leave to provide an ongoing presence at the site, ensuring the safety of the public, staff at the site and the protestors themselves. "The force has considerable experience in dealing with incidents of this scale and the professionalism and diplomacy of all officers at the scene has reflected this. I am proud the training and skills of these individuals is being demonstrated so effectively despite the challenging nature of this operation. "There is a clear distinction between peaceful, lawful protest and violence, and I want to make it absolutely clear that in the case of the latter, robust enforcement action will be taken by officers. Arrests have already been made and our policing teams will continue to utilise the powers that have been disposed to them to deal with violent or aggressive behaviour that is unlawful. "Most of those responsible for these isolated incidents are from outside of the area. It is important we stand strong as a county to reject violence or disorder of any kind, regardless of the cause. It simply will not be tolerated. "The cost of policing this protest is significant and unbudgeted. This is necessary to ensure the safety of those on-site and to prevent further escalation of problems. I have seen first-hand how hard our policing teams are working to carry out their duties at a time when they are facing many other frontline demands in our communities. I would like to reassure you that as Commissioner, I will exhaust every opportunity to secure support from our colleagues nationally and additional funding to minimise the impact of this extraordinary demand on our budget. "As a legitimate local business that brings employment to Leicestershire and injects money into the local economy, UAV Tactical Systems rightly deserves the support and protection of the police. They have offered their full cooperation and will be working closely with officers to support the prosecution of any person or group who threaten the safety of staff. "I am being regularly briefed on this incident from the Chief Constable and his senior leadership team and will continue to offer my full support in bringing this incident to a safe and peaceful conclusion."

The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be broadcast live on a giant screen in Leicester next week as part of a programme of events to mark the historic occasion. Coverage of the ceremony from Westminster Abbey will be shown on the outdoor screen at De Montfort University’s campus on Mill Lane on Saturday 6 May. While the new King is being crowned, young visitors to Leicester Museum & Art Gallery on New Walk will be able to make their own crown or create some bunting to take home with them for a coronation party. Coronation Crafts runs from 11am until 3pm on Saturday 6 May. Admission is free of charge, with a suggested donation of £1 for materials. Celebrations will continue on Sunday 7 May with a special Coronation Party at Leicester’s historic Belgrave Hall. The family-friendly garden party will include hobby-horse racing, outdoor games, and arts and crafts with a royal theme. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy it in the hall’s beautiful gardens. Belgrave Hall’s Coronation Party runs from 11am until 3pm, with a £3 charge for children’s activities. People can pre-book online or pay with cash on the day. On Monday, 8 May, the Guildhall will mark the coronation and the extra bank holiday with merriment, a maypole (12 noon to 1.30pm) and Morris dancing. The Guildhall’s Coronation Celebrations run from 11am – 2.30pm and include family-friendly craft activities (until 2pm). A £2 entry charge applies. The fun will then continue at 2.30pm with a bank holiday Ceilidh, featuring music from East Midlands-based 3 Around 3. Pre-book your tickets or pay at the door (£6). Under 16s can take part in the event – which runs until 4.30pm - free of charge. Leicester’s libraries and neighbourhood centres will be joining in too, with events taking place at venues across the city in the run-up to the coronation and on the day itself. There’ll be crowns to decorate at the Pork Pie library (11am-12.30pm, Saturday 6 May), bunting to make at the Central library (from 2-6 May) and a coronation treasure hunt at Beaumont Leys library (from 29 April until 13 May). Children from Folville Junior School will plant a commemorative tree in the Brite Centre’s grounds at 10am on Friday 5 May, a coronation cake will be cut at a musical event at Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre on Wednesday 3 May (2pm-4pm) and St Barnabas library will show the coronation ceremony live on the large screen TV in its new digital and performance suite during opening hours (10am – 4pm). Visitors to Leicester’s libraries and community centres will also be invited to record their hopes for the reign of King Charles III. Each venue will display a Coronation poster, with space for people to post their thoughts. The comments will be incorporated into a book that will be kept in the local studies area of Leicester Central Library. Details of all the events taking place at Leicester’s libraries and neighbourhood centres are listed at leicester.gov.uk/coronationinlibraries Messages of congratulations to the King and Queen can be sent via a book of online greetings that’s being collated by the city council. The online book will be open for signing until 15 May. Members of the public are also invited to join a special Coronation Service at St Mary de Castro church on Thursday 11 May at 5.30pm. All are welcome. Mike Dalzell, Leicester City Council’s director of tourism, culture and inward investment, said: “Whether you want to make bunting for your street party, watch the coronation ceremony on a big screen, or just want to enjoy the extra bank holiday with family and friends, there’s something for you in Leicester over the coronation weekend. “Our libraries and museums have got lots of free and low-cost ideas to help you mark this historic occasion, so check out our website to find out what’s on.” Coronation events taking place in Leicester are listed at leicester.gov.uk/coronation, while the new King’s visits to Leicester over the years are remembered on the Story of Leicester website. Information about how the Coronation Weekend will be marked nationally is available at royal.uk/coronation-weekend The outdoor screening of the coronation is taking place in partnership with De Montfort University and thanks to funding from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, which is coordinating celebratory events across the country. A spokesperson for De Montfort University said: “We are honoured to be showing the Coronation of King Charles III on the big screen on the DMU campus, providing a focal point for people to meet and celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime occasion together as a community.”

Thousands of Sikhs will be taking to Leicester’s streets later this month for the annual Vaisakhi procession. The event, known as Nagar Kirtan, takes place on Sunday, April 30, and traditionally sees a huge number of followers taking part on the walk between two of the city’s best-known Sikh temples, or Gurdwaras. The procession will set off from Guru Nanak Gurdwara, in Holy Bones, at 11.30am and will make its way across the city to arrive at the Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara, East Park Road, at around 3pm. It will follow a route comprising Great Central Street, Vaughan Way, St Nicholas Circle, St Nicholas Place, High Street, Clock Tower, Gallowtree Gate, Granby Street, Northampton Street, Charles Street, St Georges Way, Swain Street, Sparkenhoe Street, St Peters Road, East Park Road, Leicester Street and Roseberry Street. Rolling road closures are being put in place along the route to enable the procession to pass safely. Nagar Kirtan is one of the major events on the Leicester Sikh community’s calendar, with up to 10,000 people expected to take part. Watch our video from 2019 here

Leicester Pride announce that their 15th Anniversary Festival in on the move to Abbey Park in the centre of the city. Martyn Parker, Chair of Leicester Pride said “I’m looking forward to our 15th Anniversary. We have worked extremely hard over the last 15 years to put the event together and I’m very proud of my team that work relentlessly to make sure that we deliver a successful event for the LGBT plus community. We are honoured to be recognised as one of Leicester’s main cultural events.” Simon Harrison, Event Manager says “We’re thrilled we’ve managed to get a new licence to move to Abbey Park this year. It’s been something we’ve been in talks with Leicester City Council Festival & Events and Parks teams since before lock down and it will really give a new lease of life to the event in so many ways”. We would also like to confirm that our plans to move from Victoria Park to Abbey Park were well underway before any plans from Festival Republic’s event started and we hope that both events can support each other and our city in bringing some great festivals to Leicester this summer. We recently announced the move to Abbey Park on our social media channels as we had received so many messages and emails asking if Pride was taking place this year due to the licence application being posted to residents near Victoria Park. The feedback online about the move to Abbey Park has been amazing and really positive. The vibrant parade will once again take place - starting as always outside Curve in the centre of our Cultural Quarter. It will then make its way around the City Centre, with a new route, taking in lots of famous Leicester landmarks, including the Cathedral and Kind Richard Exhibition. The parade will then make its way up to Jubilee Square where the parade will be met by BBC Radio Leicester before makings its way back down High St towards the Clock Tower. The parade is due to arrive at Abbey Park over the Charter Street Bridge, near the Morningside Arena around 1pm. Leicester Pride event site is built up of so many different sections on the day, including the fair, main stage, bars, food outlets, market stalls & charity stalls, as well as other stands and the DJ tent. We have felt for some time now that the setup of Abbey Park gives us more options to spread attractions into different areas with better separation of the sound too. The main stage will be situated in the band stand area of the park next to Billy Bates & Sons Fun Fair who will stay in their Summer Fair location and slightly reconfigure to join onto the Pride arena. We will be announcing the main stage acts in the next few months where we look forward to welcoming back some Leicester Pride Alumni as well as some new and local acts. Kennedy Bates from the fair also added "It’s been amazing to see how Pride has grown over the past 15 years. We have worked closely with the Pride team since year one and this feels like a great achievement to see the 15th anniversary year move to Abbey Park. The move has enabled us to bring a larger Fair with a more diverse selection of attractions. Overall the event will have so much more to see and explore and with a much cosier feel, we can’t wait!" Helsinki Night Club will be hosting the DJ tent this year with a selection of their DJs playing different styles of music throughout the day. Everyone on the Leicester Pride Committee is thrilled with the new plans for this year’s celebrations & can’t wait to welcome everyone to one of the UKs largest free LGBTQ+ events in the country. Watch last year's video here To get involved or support Leicester Pride please contact simon@leicesterpride.com For market stalls Bizzle@leicesterpride.com www.leicesterpride.com Leicester Media is the official proud media partner for Leicester Pride

A national brain injury charity urgently needs more volunteers in Leicestershire to help it continue its vital work supporting brain injury survivors and their loved ones. Headway – the brain injury association is a UK-wide charity that works to improve life after brain injury by providing vital support, advocacy, and information services, including community outreach and respite care to brain injury survivors and their families. It has charity shops in Hinckley, Ashby, Loughborough and Wigston. Each of Headway’s charity shops is looking for friendly people to volunteer their time in several ways, including greeting and serving customers, sorting donations, and ensuring the shop floor remains tidy and welcoming. Headway UK Hinckley Store Manager Tara Read, said: "In recent months, we've seen increased footfall in Headway's charity shops potentially due to the cost-of-living crisis. As a result, we urgently need more kind, positive people to join our much-valued teams at the Headway UK charity shops in Leicestershire. No experience is necessary, and we would be pleased to provide volunteers with training and support.” Every year, around 350,000 people are admitted to hospital with a brain injury. That's one every 90 seconds. Brain injuries can be sustained in several ways, including as a result of a stroke, brain tumour or accident. Tara added: “The money raised from sales in our charity shops goes a long way towards ensuring vital care remains in place for those affected by brain injury. We also know that volunteering has many benefits, not just for the charities receiving the support, but for the volunteers themselves. Volunteering can help you learn new skills, make new friends, and feel more connected to your community. We'd love to hear from you if you can spare us a few hours a week. Not only will you help us keep up with increased customer demand, but you will also become an important part of helping Headway to improve life after brain injury." To find out more about volunteering at the Headway UK Leicestershire charity shops, please call the shops directly, or pop in and see the team. Headway UK Ashby 01530 564949, 60 Market Street, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire LE65 1AN Headway UK Hinckley 01455 636 639, 6 Station Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 1AW Headway UK Loughborough 01509 231 247, 26 – 32 Biggin Street, Loughborough LE11 1UA Leicestershire Headway UK Wigston 0116 288 3352, 3 The Arcade, Unit 5 Magna Shopping Centre, Wigston, Leicester LE18 1NZ

England's patron saint will be celebrated this month as Leicester’s family-friendly St George’s Festival returns to Orton Square. The packed programme of activities in and around the city’s Cultural Quarter gets under way at 12 noon on Saturday 22 April, with a welcome from the Lord Mayor and dancing from the Leicester Morris Men. There will be lots of things to see and do, including a dragon trail, a falcon with its handler, puppetry, circus skills and stilt walking, as well as arts and crafts, maypole dancing, and storytelling inspired by St George and the Dragon. It wouldn’t be St George’s Day without a dragon, and visitors to Orton Square will be able to meet not one but two: Sapphire the Dragon will join the fun at 1pm, while Blaze the Mighty Dragon will make his entrance at 2.10pm. Young children are invited to turn up to the event dressed as knights, princesses or dragons so they’re ready to take part in a costume parade at 3pm. Those wishing to take part are asked to register at the information point in Orton Square by 2.45pm. Elsewhere in the Cultural Quarter, LCB Depot on Rutland Street will host a Textiles Takeover until 4.30pm, where visitors will be able to learn embroidery, knitting and crochet skills. Refreshments, including a special St George’s menu, will be available from its coffee shop. Watch our event video from last year here. There’ll be medieval crafts at Curve, creative crafts and live music at The Exchange, and cricket reimagined from 11am-1pm, thanks to Sixes Social Cricket. St George’s Orthodox Serbian Church will be open to visitors from 12 noon – 4pm, while award-winning restaurant Chutney Ivy gets into the spirit of the occasion by adding a Dragon Fiery Feast to its lunchtime menu. The makers at Makers’ Yard will be showcasing their arts and crafts from 12 noon until 4pm, Phoenix Cinema & Arts Centre will create a digital dragon, while the Two Queens Gallery will welcome visitors to its studios. “St George’s Festival is always a great day out for the family and a fantastic way to explore Leicester’s Cultural Quarter,” said Leicester City Council’s senior festival & events officer Kellie Bugby. “This year, we’re grateful for the support of even more businesses in the area, which means there are more events at more venues than ever before. “Don’t forget that our festival will take place on Saturday 22 April – that’s the day before St George’s Day, so make sure you don’t miss it! There will be lots of free activities on offer, both in Orton Square and in nearby venues, that I hope people of all ages will be able to enjoy together.” A free programme for the St George’s Festival, which runs from 12 noon to 5pm on Saturday 22 April, can be picked up from the Visit Leicester information centre at 4A St Martins (LE1 5DB). Details are also available online at visitleicester.info Download the Festival Guide here

A national brain injury charity has issued an urgent appeal for donations as its charity shops struggle to fill the shelves. Headway UK has charity shops in Ashby, Hinckley,Loughborough and Wigston. It says it's in desperate need of quality winter clothes and bric-a-brac to help the charity continue its vital work providing support to brain injury survivors and their loved ones. Carol Tennet, Headway's Head of Retail, said: "In the last six months, we have seen a 10 per cent decline in donations across Headway's charity shops. Whilst we don’t know the exact cause of the decline, we do believe this is one of the many results of the cost-of-living crisis. "10 per cent is a huge drop in donations and the impact on our shops is vast. We are also seeing a six percent increase in the number of customers coming through our doors, so we are really facing challenging times at the moment. “We urgently need more donations so that our charity shops can keep up with demand as well as continuing to support those affected by life-changing brain injuries.” Headway – the brain injury association is the UK-wide charity that works to improve life after brain injury by providing vital support, advocacy, and information services. Its network of groups and branches offer a wide range of services, includingcarer support, social re-integration, community outreach, fundraising, and respite care to brain injury survivors and their families. The Headway UK Ashby Shop Manager Fiona Ackland said: "As the days get colder, the nights get longer, and the heating bills get bigger, everyone is desperately searching for warm winter clothing to keep the chills at bay. We would particularly welcome donations of good quality jumpers, coats, tops, trousers, and bric-a-brac. "Every year, around 350,000 people are admitted to hospital with a brain injury. That's one every 90 seconds. The money raised from sales in our charity shops goes a long way towards ensuring vital care remains in place for those affected by brain injury. So please think of Headway if you are making way for Santa or clearing space for relatives to visit this Christmas." Donations should be delivered to the Headway charity shops. The Headway UK charity shops can be found in the following locations: http://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/ 60 Market Street, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire LE65 1AN, tel 01530 564949, 6 Station Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 1AW, tel 01455 636 639, 26 – 32 Biggin Street, Loughborough LE11 1UALeicestershire, tel 01509 231 247, 3 The Arcade, Unit 5 Magna Shopping Centre, Wigston, Leicester LE18 1NZ, tel 0116 288 3352 . Headway is always looking for new people to join its friendly team of volunteers. If you can spare even a few hours a week, you could help make a big difference to the lives of people living with brain injuries while learning new skills and making new friends. To find out more, visit https://www.headway.org.uk/donate/volunteer/.

Developer Barratt Homes has sold its 50th property on the second phase of a new housing development in Hugglescote, as the neighbourhood continues to take shape. Barratt Homes is building a range of three, four and five bedroom homes at Grange View, off Grange Road, with over 40% of the properties on the second phase of the development now sold. The developer is encouraging potential buyers to visit the development, with site and show home tours available to those who book appointments with its Sales Advisers. Martyn Parker, Sales Director at Barratt Homes North Midlands, said: “Grange View has proven very popular so far, with a fantastic selection of thoughtfully designed homes available to suit all types of purchasers. “We’re finding the development is a big hit with families, and we would encourage any house hunters who are interested in finding a home in the area to come and take a look around our beautiful show homes to view them first hand.” Grange View lies on the outskirts of Hugglescote, close to the River Sense, which means residents can connect with nature at the nearby National Forest and enjoy the public greens on their doorstep. Traditional family-owned shops are in close proximity, as well as high street favourites, cafes and plenty of supermarkets nearby for day-to-day convenience. For those seeking leisure facilities, Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre has recently opened to the public and is located just over two miles from the development. The 850-acre Bradgate Park is also located less than 10 miles from Grange View in northwest Leicester. Developers Barratt Homes North Midlands and David Wilson Homes East Midlands have injected more than £3.8 million of investment into the local community, to help improve local facilities and infrastructure around the development. There are plenty of schemes house hunters can use to help them when reserving a property at a Barratt Homes development, including Part Exchange and Movemaker, both of which are designed to make the moving process that much simpler for buyers. To find out more about the homes available atGrange View, which are priced from £314,955, call the Barratt Homes sales team on 033 3355 8472. For more information about any developments in the area, visit the website at Barratt Homes in Leicestershire.

MUM-OF-THREE SET TO ACHIEVE BUSINESS DREAMS AFTER TV APPEARANCE In the current Dragon line-up, owner of Mood Bears, Jo Proud, becomes first Dragons’ Den contestant to accept backing from all five Dragons Mood Bears’ teddy bears designed to provide important mental health boost for adults and children Jo Proud's own mental health challenges led to the creation of business A mum-of-three is seeing her business dreams turn to reality after an appearance on BBC One programme Dragons’ Den tonight. Jo Proud (44)- who owns Mood Bears - became the first contestant to accept the backing of all five of the current line-up of Dragons - Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Sara Davies, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman. The Leicester businesswoman, who runs Mood Bears with her husband Nathan, accepted £20,000 investment in return for a combined 25% of her business. Jo has created a collection of colourful teddy bears, each representing a different mood, in line with the moods and emotions experienced by everyone. All bears also come with an uplifting message and poem designed to help their owner cope with different emotional moments in life. She said, “I love these bears with all of my heart. I drew the first mood bear at a time when I felt a real hopelessness about life, and I was struggling to see a way forward. When I had that one first bear made, it was the first time in months that I felt like smiling. And since launching the business, I’ve seen the bears have a similar impact on so many people, it’s just amazing. “To know that all five of the Dragons - all such amazing entrepreneurs - like and believe in my business just means the world to me and gives me so much confidence for the future. The impact that their collective knowledge, expertise and contacts will have on my business will be immense. I look forward to working with all of them to help the bears bring joy and hope to as many people as possible around the world.” To find out more about Mood Bears visit https://www.moodbears.co.uk/