Chester will welcome Paralympic gold medallist Naomi Riches as guest speaker at this year's Cheshire Sportswoman's Lunch.

The event will take place at Chester Racecourse on Thursday 11 June, bringing together local businesses and supporters to raise funds for children's cancer charity The Joshua Tree.

Now in its fourth year, the Cheshire Sportswoman's Lunch has become a popular fixture in the county's social calendar, raising more than £37,000 to date for charities including Melanoma UK and The Inclusive Hub.

Last year's event raised £12,500 for The Joshua Tree, which supports families affected by childhood cancers across the North West and North Wales.

Organisers confirmed the charity will again benefit from funds raised in 2026.

"Naomi has such a fantastic message for our guests this year," said Chris McLoughlin, from Bathgate Business Finance. "While she recognises her Paralympic Gold as her most significant and visible public reward, realising that what people saw as her disability or 'problem' was actually the reason she was able to achieve everything she did in her career.

"In challenging times for business, seeing the opportunity in adversity is vital. I'm excited for Naomi to bring her positive and transformational mindset to our event."

A former member of Paralympics GB, Riches won gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and bronze at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. Over a decade-long career, she also secured six world titles and a World Championship silver medal.

advertisement

Since retiring from elite sport in 2013, she has built a career as a motivational speaker and resilience coach.

Guests attending this year's lunch can expect an afternoon focused on overcoming adversity, mental resilience and teamwork, alongside fundraising for The Joshua Tree.

Mr McLoughlin added: "This year's event is on track to be a sell-out, and we can't wait to welcome our guests to Chester Racecourse for an afternoon of fantastic food, company and coming together to support a fantastic local charity."

Rich Driffield, CEO of The Joshua Tree, said the charity is "incredibly grateful" for the continued support.

"The funds raised through this incredible event enable us to provide vital emotional, health and wellbeing support to families affected by childhood cancer," he said.

"We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing commitment, which allows us to reach more families and deliver real impact. We look forward to another fantastic event in June and to continuing this special partnership."

A limited number of tables and individual tickets are still available but selling fast.

The event is sponsored by Bathgate Business Finance, Bibby Financial Services, HM3 Legal, Mercer & Associates Wealth Management, Handlesbanken, Champion Accountants, BSC Socials, Boodles and Allianz.

advertisement

Tickets are now on sale for £90 for an individual ticket or £850 for a table of ten.

To book, email [email protected] to book or call 07540063255.