Smile is excited to share that our CEO, Jamie Lewis, has been invited to attend this year’s prestigious Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London. The invitation has come from the East Riding’s Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Jim Dick OBE, as a thank you and in recognition for Jamie’s work and impact at HEY Smile Foundation and all of Jamie’s other voluntary work across the region.

There are three Royal Garden Parties held at Buckingham Palace every year and about 8000 people attend each party. Garden Parties are held each year in the beautiful gardens at Buckingham Palace and are an important way for a broad range of people from all walks of life, all of whom have made a positive impact in their community, to spend a relaxed afternoon with the Royal Family.

Jamie’s voluntary work and his commitment to his community span two decades, and more notably, Jamie has been the Chair of Pride in Hull for the past five years and has been instrumental in bringing together the LGBT+ community across the Humber to celebrate diversity and inclusion. Under his leadership, Pride in Hull has grown into one of the city’s most significant events, promoting a message of unity and acceptance. His leadership was particularly notable during the challenging times of the pandemic, where, despite financial struggles, he guided the organisation to emerge stronger.

More recently Jamie is the Chair of Govenors at Frederick Holmes Special School, which is a community special school catering to pupils with severe physical/ learning disabilities and those with profound and multiple needs aged 2-19. Also, Jamie is the Chair of the City of Hull Street Angels; Jamie has significantly enhanced the organisation’s capacity to support people in the night-time economy of Hull. His successful efforts in securing a new base, recruiting more volunteers, and developing innovative strategies have been vital in diverting individuals away from emergency services, thereby alleviating pressure on public resources.

Jamie said, “This is truly an honour and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; the work I do across the region is not about gaining recognition but about making a real impact for people that live and work in this area. I have a real passion for helping people, and I’m grateful for the thank you from the East Riding’s Lord-Lieutenant; this really does mean a lot”.