Martin Hywood: Bringing Positive Change

BRINGING POSITIVE CHANGE

BGC - “Every year on September 11th, in conjunction with the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, we remember our 658 friends and colleagues and the 61 Euro brokers employees who were tragically killed by distributing 100% of our global revenues to the Relief Fund and many other charities around the world.”

Yesterday I attended the annual BGC day. The day was fun filled with many different charities benefitting from many acts of kindness, the building was filling up with a broad range of celebrities and ambassadors to represent those charities on the trading floor with commissions being won and donated to help so many great causes.

Muscular Dystrophy UK invited some families along for a festival themed day of fun and I think everyone left with huge smiles on their faces and also left feeling quite tired, I know I was!

There are many pictures below to show you what the day looked like, but I just wanted to share a few personal highlights of my own.

Rosie Davies recently shared her story with Muscular Dystrophy UK, telling us how her son; Finley had been on a treatment journey, a journey they never thought they would be on. Yesterday Finley was on the trading floor and sold a huge amount of stock and made £10,000 in commission (to go to the charities benefitting), he was beaming, and Rosie (Mum) and Joel (Dad) were laughing out loud and full of pride, as Rosie explained to me later.

Our Skye had been invited along to represent ‘Young Carers’, those young people that go above and beyond and help relatives and loved ones that live with a disability like mine. Things that many people take for granted like putting shoes and socks on, helping me get my wheelchair in and out of the car boot, shopping, cleaning, tidying and generally doing lots of things that any other adult would do. Later in the afternoon Skye met former West Ham striker Carlton Cole and they got chatting and Skye told Carlton why she was there, and she was very shy about it. Carlton was so impressed, he explained how his mother had been a carer all her life and he called Skye and all the people like Skye “Societies Unsung Heroes” and hearing that from him made me so proud and Skye just shrugged her shoulders… “It’s just what I do because it’s my dad”

Later in the afternoon, about an hour before we were leaving, I met a lady called Edie Lutnick, Edie was asking me if I was ok, enjoying the day, anything she could do for me? We got talking and Edie explained to me that she was the co-founder of Cantor Fitzgerald relief fund, the reason why everyone was there yesterday and the many years before. Edie and her brother set up the fund after losing their brother in the world trade centre on 9/11. This was an opportunity for me to show some gratitude and explain from a charity and personal perspective how important yesterday was and what a world of difference the funds raised would make and that what they have done with the BGC day is the pinnacle of selflessness. We shared a huge hug and then Edie took Skye under her wing for photos and to guess what flavour the huge celebration cake was.

In so many respects, a proud and emotional day.