Episode 46 - Julie Kent - A story of grief, grit and resilience, glamour and giving.

Following international women's day on Monday It was an absolute pleasure to host this amazing lady on the Podcast. A story of grief, grit and resilience, glamour and giving. Honoured with an MBE in October 2020 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Often referred to as the lady with the sax, Julie is an inspirational, musical and a high-energy keynote speaker who enters the stage playing the saxophone and takes the audience on an adventure through three challenging decades. Talking openly about the loss of her first daughter Emily, who died of a brain tumour at the age of 3 Julie enthuses about how giving and raising money helped her journey of grief.  She became a crazy, fun and much loved House Mistress at Dean Close School in Cheltenham teaching, living with and caring for over 60 young girls. She showed them how to give to help others, with not just money but with time, energy and humility. Her mantra of “Give to charity, Give your time, Give yourself” was one that she lived by everyday and encouraged others to do the same. She talks about how she became one of the most driven and prolific third sector leaders of our time, having a ward in Gloucestershire and Bristol Children’s Hospitals named after Emily her daughter, raising unheard of sums of money for charities, becoming Chairman of Cheltenham Open Door, Vice Chairman of The Pied Piper Appeal, Ambassador and Trustee for Goals beyond Grass. In 2018 she was named as one of the 50 Greatest Women in Gloucestershire followed by being named in the Top 100 Women in West and was then awarded the Most Outstanding Woman in the Charitable Sector in the West. In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, Julie Kent was awarded an MBE for Charitable Services rendered on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II birthday honours list. Connect with Julie via LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-kent-jdkallday/ Charity Links  www.Piedpiperappeal.co.uk  www.Cheltenhamopendoor.org.uk  www.Goalsbeyondgrass.co.uk Basic format – 20 minutes to help you on your leadership journey PLEASE ENJOY Make sure you follow/subscribe to my social media platforms -   Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/STARDevelopmentuk/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-waddington-1882b4aa/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stuart_waddington/?hl=en YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/LeadershipWhatsonyourmind Spotify - #Leadership – What’s on your mind?   See you next week…..