The afternoon opened with a warm welcome to guests, speakers and sponsors before Wayne Jacobs, Co-Founder & CEO, delivered a powerful and deeply personal reflection on 20 years of One In A Million. Speaking with honesty and emotion, Wayne celebrated the resilience it has taken to keep going and the life-changing journeys of young people who have moved from disadvantage to opportunity. There was real pride in the room and more than a few moments that stopped us in our tracks.

Before lunch, guest speaker Louise Ellis-Frankland, CEO of Mansfield Pollard, shared her own journey from humble beginnings to leading a global, award-winning Bradford business. Her message was clear and compelling: culture matters, people matter, and when you build the right environment, extraordinary things happen.

Louise later reflected: “One In A Million Charity is a shining example of what long-term commitment, belief in people, and community-rooted purpose can achieve. Their impact on young people across Bradford is genuinely life-changing, and it was inspiring to be in a room full of businesses committed to supporting that mission”.

Following a delicious lunch served by the fantastic team at The Midland Hotel and plenty of purposeful networking, guests took part in a spirited round of Heads & Tails, with a Toshiba 43” 4K TV generously donated by Complete IT Systems. In a moment that perfectly captured the spirit of the day, the winner kindly donated the monetary value back to the charity. A beautiful example of generosity in action.

Rebecca Fitzgerald, Director of Data & AI at Yorkshire Building Society and President of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, took to the stage. Rebecca spoke with pride about her Bradford roots and how the city has shaped her leadership journey. As we navigate the rapid shift of AI and technology, she echoed the same powerful thread of the day: keep people at the centre.

Rebecca remarked: "It was such a privilege to speak at the One In A Million Charity Business Lunch. The energy in the room and the conversations I had left me genuinely inspired. It was amazing to be involved and to connect with so many brilliant people who care deeply about Bradford’s future.

One In A Million is an incredible charity doing transformative work with young people across the district. And as a wider business community, we’ve got a real responsibility to step up, collaborate, and create meaningful opportunities for the next generation to thrive".

We then moved into our lively panel discussion, When Business Meets Community, hosted by Craig McHugh, One In A Million. Joined by Mark Hutchinson (Tite Fix), Mike Martin (T L Dallas) and Graham Sweeney (Schofield Sweeney), the conversation reinforced a simple but vital truth, ‘when business invests in community, everyone benefits’.

Mike Martin, T L Dallas shared: “It was a pleasure to be part of this event. One In A Million is an amazing charity that supports young people and looks to transform their lives by providing opportunity in many different ways. It's typically a seven-year journey that needs long-term support and ongoing monthly pledges help make the funding they need more predictable. If you can commit to that, you will be materially changing the life of a young person from the most deprived areas of our city to have a chance in life”.

Asma Iqbal, Chadwick Lawrence LLP added: “It was an afternoon filled with powerful reminders of why giving back truly matters. Supporting initiatives that raise talent across our great City is not just the right thing to do but makes perfect #business sense”.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended Business Lunch 2026 including our guest speakers and our main sponsors Complete IT Systems, Schofield Sweeney, Support 2 and T L Dallas. Your commitment and partnership helps us to provide on-going, much-needed, community pathways programmes in sports, the arts and enterprise, to children and young people in some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities.