A SUMMER 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 on Sunday July 2, 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 each for the following charities:
- Burton YMCA
- Burton Albion Community Trust
- SARAC
- 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.”
Kendra Gray, Strategic Director BAC O’Connor Centre, said: “We would like to thank Ben Robinson and everyone involved for organising the Repton Marquee Charity Summer Party. It was such a wonderful afternoon enjoyed by everyone there. We are extremely grateful for all of Ben’s support for the O’Connor Gateway Trust and for the generosity of all those who donated and participated on the day.
“The O’Connor Gateway Trust is passionately committed to breaking the cycle of addiction for individuals, families and the community and this generous donation will help to fund more of the activities which further the aims to equip our clients with living skills to help enhance the future of those on the journey of abstinence recovery and become productive and positive members of their community.”
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.”