After multiple postponements, last night our young supporters finally got to party at The Prince and it was most definitely worth the wait, with a phenomenal total of £40,000 successfully raised for the charity!
Originally scheduled to take place in March 2020, our young committee have been organising the occasion for almost two years, patiently waiting for the moment when the next generation would able to safely come together to support Horatio’s Garden.
Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait any longer and over 400 people joined us for what was a brilliant evening at one of London’s premier venues.
Consisting of one street, three bars, four restaurants and a covered woodland garden, all of which connect together to create one perfect epicurean avenue, The Prince was the perfect place to celebrate the charity’s work and raise awareness of what we do amongst supporters old and new.
The Prince were incredibly generous in their support of the event, with all ticket holders enjoying an open bar, along with plenty of delicious food by their talented independent traders. Everyone relished the irresistible treats on offer and with the atmosphere buzzing, it was simply wonderful to once again see people coming together and having fun in each other’s company.
The committee also successfully curated an incredible raffle, with 20 fabulous prizes that prompted almost everyone to buy a ticket in the hope of winning anything from a Champagne Brunch for four at The Ned, to a Peachy Den voucher, to a Horatio’s Garden gold quote pendant, designed exclusively for the charity by Cassandra Goad.
Whilst it would have been easy to get lost in the joy of once again being able to embrace a night out, everyone who joined us was totally engaged with the charity, with this energy especially tangible during the event’s speeches.
As both Horatio Chapple’s brother, Titus, and former patient and charity ambassador, Jack Mannings, spoke to the gathered guests, a hush fell over the room, with everyone listening intently to all they had to say.
Whilst Titus explained a little more about the charity and its plans for the future, Jack generously shared his story and told the audience how Horatio’s Garden South West supported his rehabilitation. In his words, “it wouldn’t be too much to say that, for me, Horatio’s Garden was the difference between life and death.”
Everyone was evidently moved by the two’s words, whilst our touching fundraising film also gave people an insight into just how much the charity changes people’s lives. Indeed, following these few minutes, a number of the under 30s who came along for the evening generously became Friends of the charity, signing up to give a regular donation to help us continue creating and nurturing our gardens across the UK.
Moreover, our exceptional sponsors, Decanter, were so stirred too that in the moment they doubled their sponsorship of £10,000 to £20,000! We, along with everyone else in the room, were totally taken aback and in complete awe of their astonishing kindness.
The astounding £40,000 fundraising total is a true testament to the generosity of all those who attended, but also stands to represent the magnificent work of our extraordinary young committee members.
It was a real pleasure to be a part of such an epic evening and we are so grateful to everyone who joined us, to all our young ambassadors, to everyone on the young committee and to all the endlessly helpful staff at The Prince.
We would also like to thank our fantastically generous sponsors, Incipio, Decanter, The Earls Court Development Company and CBC Partnership.
Together, each and every one of you helped us to host a night to remember; one that will make a real difference to countless people’s lives.
We look forward to seeing you at our next young supporters event very soon!
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About our Sponsors
With well-known venues such as The Prince, Pergola and Lost in Brixton, Incipio are on a mission to take unloved and unused spaces and turn them into unique, big and beautiful destinations. Restaurants, bars, city skylines, atmosphere, music, seating for all and general good times.
Founded in 1975, Decanter is the oldest consumer wine publication in the UK and is now – quite simply – the world’s leading wine media brand. Today, Decanter reaches over 660,000 wine lovers every month from 99 countries around the globe. Decanter provides authoritative content, independent advice and inspirational events and competitions.
