Lizzie Jones recognised by Women of the Year

Lizzie Jones will be in attendance at the Women of the Year Lunch 2016, in recognition of her efforts to raise funds for heart-related health equipment at rugby league clubs.

The widow of the late Danny Jones will join over 400 women from a variety of different backgrounds at the event, as one of the ‘2016 Women of Achievement’.

Lizzie has campaigned to raise cash for defibrillators for community rugby league clubs, as well as successfully campaigning for cardiac screening to become mandatory at every Championship and League 1 club.

She has also teamed up with the RFL Benevolent Fund to raise money to create a fund that will provide assistance to hundreds of community clubs and junior teams across the country to purchase a defibrillator.

The fund is administered by the RFL Benevolent Fund and the sport’s charity Rugby League Cares, and supported by the WelMedical Group.

“It is such an honour to be named as a Woman Of The Year,” said Lizzie.

“The Danny Jones Defibrillator Fund is my way of saying a big ‘Thank You’ to the wider Rugby League family for all they have done for me and my children since we lost Danny.

“I want the fund to be a platform to help the wider sporting community too, so to receive this Women Of The Year recognition alongside so many impressive, inspirational women doing such great work for their families and communities is truly thrilling.”

Sandi Toksvig, president of Women of the Year, added: “I’m looking forward to welcoming all our guests and winners to the Women of the Year Lunch and Awards in London this October.

“I would love to show the room to every schoolgirl growing up in Britain today and tell them ‘you can be whatever you want to be: just look at these incredible women.’”