TEN talented young people from Leicester and Leicestershire are the latest to receive an Inspire Award small grant from local charity - the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT) – to help them reach their goals in sport, creative arts, music, community, and entrepreneurism.

Charlotte Vaughan, Dorothy Pumpton, Harriet Hughes, Nia Sood, Olivia Graham, Viren Mangharam, Flossie Wixey, Aalayah Clarke, Agnieszka Cygan and Annalise Grace Powell have all been awarded grants of up to £500 to help them fulfil their ambitions in their different fields.

The Inspire Awards were set up to help young people aged 13-21 from Leicester and Leicestershire to achieve their goals in the fields of music, arts, sports, entrepreneurism and community endeavour. Since the awards' inception in 2014, £72,000 has been awarded to help 327 young people flourish and do amazing things.

The JHMT was set up in memory of Leicester teenager Joe Humphries, who collapsed and died in October 2012 while out jogging near his family home in Rothley, Leicestershire. Joe was a victim of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) – a group of lethal heart diseases which can cause sudden cardiac death in young people. The JHMT provides free CPR training, helps to fund community defibrillators and campaigns for better understanding of SADS, as well as running the Inspire Awards small grants scheme

The latest recipients of the awards are:

Charlotte Vaughan is 17 years of age, and from Barrow, Leics. Charlotte's first step into dance and now musical theatre began when she was four years of age having attended the Rothley dance school. This has since led to accumulating 13 years of dance experience. This couldn't have been possible without a steely determination and hours of practise and sacrifice to master three dance styles and being recognised as one of the top 100 young dancers in the UK.

Charlotte said: "None of this has come easily. I stretch and train every night, often missing social events to rest before competitions. I've had to manage GCSEs and now A-levels alongside 10 hours of studio time a week, personal training, teaching, and festivals. It's a demanding schedule, but I know the hard work will be worth it."

She has since branched out into musical theatre, performing in shows like CATS, Boogie Nights, and Chicago with Leicester Theatre Group. Charlotte is currently auditioning for higher education dance colleges but with this come the additional costs of audition fees and travel to London.

Charlotte said: "I am also very grateful for this opportunity from the Joe Humphries Trust. The support (£200 Inspire grant) they have so kindly shown me is assisting me in travelling to my audition venues this year, as I hopefully embark on my higher education in dance and performance."

Dorothy Plumber who is 17 years of age and from Leicester. Dorothy is another very dedicated and talented young swimmer from Leicester who has shown much resilience and determination along the way both in and out of the pool. This has been deservedly recognised with an invitation to attend a self-funded training camp in Tenerife that City of Leicester Swimming Club ( COLSC ) have organised.

Dorothy said:" Thanks to JHMT, this Inspire grant (£300) will go towards the cost of a training camp, in February, at Tenerife Top Training that COLSC have organised which will help me gain another opportunity to improve my skills and performance just before the National Qualifying Window opens."

Florence (Flossie) Wixley is 15 years of age, and from Melton Mowbray, Leics. Florence has been performing on stage since she was nine. She's currently a member of Curve theatre. Florence has her heart set on becoming a West End actor and has been busy wasting no time in gaining invaluable experiences by taking key roles in productions across the county and city.

Flossie said: "I love Musical Theatre, the spectacular, the drama, the camaraderie and the sound of the audience appreciating our performances. I've been auditioning for Performing Arts Colleges to do BTEC Level 3 in Musical Theatre for years 12 and 13 before going to University. I also have two show auditions coming up in the New Year, Kinky Boots & Elf the Musical for next Christmas with Sky Theatre Company. I'm totally committed and driven to making Musical Theatre my career and the Inspire Award grant (£180) will help improve my singing skills."

Annalise Powell is 13 years old, from Moira, North West Leicestershire. She has a passion for cheerleading which has led to her being offered a place on Team England Adaptive Abilities Cheer Median team as a reserved flyer. Having started out in the sport from 9 years of age, Annalise has thrown herself into acquiring the key skills to compete for both club and Team England.

Annalise said:" In April 2026, Team England is competing at ICU World Championship in Orlando Florida. The training takes part mostly in Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire but also some sessions are based in London. with the help of JHMT providing me with an Inspire grant (£300) it has helped to cover the cost of my uniform, registration and training fees. I am so very grateful of this help and support to make my dreams come true of being able to be with Team England Adaptive Abilities Median Cheer Team on their journey to ICU World Championships 2026."

Harriet Hughes is14 years of age, and from Ibstock. Leics. Harriet's journey to becoming a National Level Track & Road Cyclist began when she was just 7 years old with an invitation to a junior skills session at Leicester Forest Cycling Club. Since that day, she hasn't looked back having thrown herself into experiencing every form of cycling which has led to the next stage of the British Cycling Talent Pathway - Regional School of Racing. Harriet's current goal is to qualify again for the Omnium finals and move further along the Talent Pathway.

Harriet said: "Cycling is more than just a sport for me; it's my happy place. It gives me freedom, focus, and joy. Whether I'm racing, riding with my family and friends, or exploring the city on historical rides, I feel most myself on two wheels. I also volunteer at The Rockets, support Leicester's Bike Fest, and am working toward becoming a qualified coach to give back to the community that's given me so much.

"The JHMT Inspire grant (£300) means a lot to me because it helps me race my bike at national events like The Monsters of Track in Glasgow. Moving up to the U16's category is a big step, and having this support gives me the confidence to push myself, learn, and show what I can do in cycling. It's not just about the funding, it feels like someone believes in me and my journey."

Agnieszka Cygan is 18 years old and from Leicester. Agnieszka has a real passion for music which has been an integral part of her life since a very young age. Over many years, despite having to cope with many personal challenges, this has led to a growing interest in exploring the history and context of music, as well as composition.

Agi said: "Composing music has allowed me to express myself creatively and improved my confidence in abilities as a musician because I have garnered a better understanding of music. This interest in and love of composition has encouraged me to continue to pursue music as a degree at KCL. For example, the use of DAWs (Digital audio workstations) such as 'Logic' which the Inspire grant has allowed me to buy. This is a DAW used widely across the music industry by both composers (such as composers for film and media) and producers/songwriters."

"I'm immensely grateful for the Inspire grant (£199) as it allows me to continue to develop my skills as a composer and provides me with an opportunity to move away from strict notation and explore new areas and types of music." Added Agi

Viren Mangharam is 19 years of age and from Leicester. Viren only took up rowing three years ago and has gained invaluable experience competing events in university and at Leicester Rowing Club. He's also keen to develop as a young coach.

Viren said: "Rowing has given me far more than race results—it has provided structure, resilience, and a strong sense of community. My experiences as both an athlete and a leader have inspired me to pursue a club coach level 2 , so that I can continue to develop my skills, give back to the sport, and positively support future rowers at club and novice level.

"Thanks! to JHMT Inspire, receiving this grant (£200) will enable me to take an important next step in my coaching journey. It would allow me to gain the qualifications needed to coach safely, effectively, and confidently, and to contribute meaningfully to rowing environments that are supportive, inclusive, and enjoyable. More than financial support, this opportunity represents belief in my journey as both a rower and an aspiring coach, and I am excited to continue developing within the sport that has shaped me so

Olivia Graham is 17 years of age, and from Market Bosworth Leics. Having only started out in acting from aged 12, Olivia is totally focused both on and off stage to take on all challenges and is so determined and committed to find a way to achieve her long-term goal of becoming a professional actor.

Olivia said:" "My main goal this year with Musical Theatre at CYCC is to increase my confidence while singing, however, within the first term at CYCC I can already see such a huge difference. Along with my training at musical theatre I have had a few singing lessons with my acting coach and I dedicate 2 hours a week to singing practice (sometimes more if shows or performances are soon) I am now studying Theatre at A-level, a course I love. Every week I dedicate over 7 hours to rehearsals, script writing, set designing and more. At the moment I am preparing for my Component 1 piece, which is a play in the style of Brecht based off of the play A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen.I am committed to turning Acting into a career and will be applying to University/Drama school next year for when I have completed my A levels."

" The Inspire grant (£260.00) will go a long way to helping me cover the costs of attending the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Auditions 5-day boot camp in Bristol next year. The JHMT Inspire Awards ( opens up fantastic opportunities for young people. They support us and our aspirations for our future, allowing us to achieve our dreams. I will forever be grateful for inspire awards help. Thank you too everyone from the Inspire Awards team " added Olivia

Nia Sood is 15 years of age and from Oadby, Leics. her wide-ranging experiences in the performing arts from a very young age. This has led to Nia taking part in a diverse range of local productions and roles alongside her studies which also includes GCSE drama.

Nia said:" I really enjoy dancing and performing in front of audiences and am considering it as a career path so, this course would allow me to refine my skills as a performer and get professional help and advice to break into the industry. Over the years, I have faced rejections which have only pushed me to work harder . I currently spend more than twelve hours doing performing arts, including at school and in piano lessons, and would love to improve on my singing skills and get professional advice, I'm so grateful for the Inspire grant as this will enable me to enrol on twelve weeks performing arts course at The Curve Youth Community Company (CYCC) from 11th January 2026."

In addition, Aalayah Clarke (Football) also benefited from a second Inspire grant which helped her represent GB in the Deaflympics, Tokyo 2025.

Steve Humphries, Joe's dad and chair of JHMT said: " We are delighted to award another ten Inspire grants during the winter period to enable talented young people from across the city and county pursue their ambitions in sport, music and performing arts. We are so pleased to hear that as part of Joe's legacy, the JHMT Inspire grants continue to help young people make a difference and be the best they can be."

The JHMT - Inspire Awards - small grants to help young people, aged 13 to 21 years old, fulfil their potential

JHMT Inspire Awards talents & make a difference across the community

The Inspire Awards are part of the Trust's long-term charitable aims to make a difference through Joe's legacy. The awards are designed to inspire young people to fulfil their potential and develop their talents.

To be eligible for an award you need to be:

• Preparing or training for a competition in a significant sporting activity, recognised by the Trust or
• Pursuing a project to benefit your local community, or
• An artist or musician looking to develop your talent.

To find out more go to: https://www.jhmt.org.uk/inspire

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