Summer marquee party raises £10,000 for charities
A supper party at Repton School organised by Burton Albion chairman Ben Robinson has raised £10,000 for good causes.
The Charity Summer Marquee Party took place last month with an afternoon of food and entertainment on offer.
The event was hosted by well-known sports broadcaster Gary Newbon, who was joined by celebrity auctioneer Charles Hanson, Tutbury Castle curator Lesley Smith, famous for her impersonations of Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth 1 and John Latham who hosted fundraising activities.
Music was provided by String Infusion, an international all-female electric-acoustic ensemble.
Ticket holders also enjoyed a sumptuous feast and helped raise £2,500 for Burton YMCA, - Burton Albion Community Trust, SARAC and Burton Addiction Centre.
Ben Robinson MBE DL said: “These are all great charities who will make a massive impact with the money raised.
“I want to thank everyone who bought tickets to support the event, to Gary, Lesley, Charles, John and String Infusion for keeping everyone entertained and headmaster Mark Semmence and everyone at Repton School for their support.
“It was a great afternoon enjoyed by all those who attended, and we are delighted with the amount of money raised.”
Will Evans, head of community at BACT, said: “It was a pleasure to attend this great event and we will use the money we receive to further deliver a great impact in the community. I want to thank Ben for organising the party and for including BACT in the charity donations.”
Paul Laffey, chief executive of the YMCA said: “It was a fantastic fundraising event. Thank you to our President Ben Robinson for making it happen, and to all the party goers, and to the many sponsors.
“It was wonderful to see and speak to such a diverse range of charity supporters, all with a shared aim of supporting four charities that have a huge impact in our community.
“At YMCA Burton we are experiencing astronomical demand across our services, particularly with the cost-of-living crisis, and the knock-on impact that is having on our community. Families and individuals need our support now more than ever, with waiting lists forming for the first time in our history.
“Charity fundraising events like this make a fantastic difference to thousands of local lives. They raise awareness of the cause and vital funds, ultimately helping those in need within our community. We thank everyone involved.”
Catherine Miles, of SARAC, said: “Thanks to the amazing support shown, we're thrilled to receive a grand sum of £2,500 from the money raised. It's always incredible to receive support in any amount, but a sum like this grants our charity the opportunity to do so much for those who need us most.
“From providing counselling support to survivors, to furthering the education around sexual abuse, donations like this allow us to empower vulnerable people. From the whole of SARAC, I would like to extend a huge thank you.”
