Care home boss pledges £1m to charity and joins philanthropy network

Avnish Goyal, chief executive of Hallmark Care Homes and his wife Anita Goyal, have pledged to donate £1m to a charity which supports disabled and autistic children.

The couple have joined a network of philanthropists known as the Life Changers Circle.

In June 2022 Avnish Goyal, chair of Care England, was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his services to social care and philanthropy.

Soon after Mr Goyal and his wife, Anita, met with John Caudwell in London to discuss becoming members of the Life Changers Circle and furthering their philanthropy through the Hemraj Goyal Foundation.

Mr Goyal said: “We are delighted that the Hemraj Goyal Foundation is supporting Caudwell Children and its valuable work transforming the lives of disabled children and their families.

"Joining John Caudwell’s Life-Changers Circle will enable us to provide long-term support for the Children’s Centre and build networks with other philanthropists to raise awareness of the Hemraj Goyal Foundation’s own work with children and young people facing disadvantage. Together we are stronger and can do more to improve life for every child and family, now and in the future.”

The Life-Changers Circle was set up in 2020 by Mr Caudwell in a bid to create a global network of philanthropists working together for a common goal. Membership to the network requires a commitment to donate £1million to the charity, Caudwell Children, with eight inductees already signed up to the pledge.

Mr Caudwell said: “My vision for the Life Changers Circle was to bring people together who were at different stages of their philanthropic journey, to learn from each other and enjoy each other’s company.

“Avnish and Anita have already done so much through their foundations and their work in the care sector, it is a real honour to welcome them to the group. Their commitment to Caudwell Children will ensure thousands of disabled and autistic children have access to vital services for years to come and the opportunity to reach their full potential, we are truly grateful.”

Caudwell Children is a national charity which provides practical and emotional support for autistic and disabled children. Founded in 2000 by John Caudwell, the charity has provided support worth £85million for over 65,000 children with 700 different medical conditions. In 2019 the charity officially launched the Caudwell International Children’s Centre, the UK’s first independent purpose-built facility for the assessment, support and research of autism.