Annual Gala Charity Ball

WOW! What a night!

With 2023 marking 10 years since the charity was set up, we were sure that this year’s gala was going to be the best yet and according to the feedback we have received since, we think it was.

Upon entrance, our guests were greeted with live music from Amie Johns and Josh Bailey as they made their way through our gold-curtained entrance provided by our amazing event production team from Reveries. The tables were stylishly decorated with tall orb balloon centrepieces and gold fringing, not to mention a free gold pen provided by hotline products, bespoke printed brochures and personalised Lucy Rayner stationary from Envelope Printing For Less. The room was also filled with a number of other exciting attractions such as roulette tables, a 360-degree photo booth and ‘On A Stick London’ providing waffles to purchase after dinner.

A huge thank you to our headline sponsors for the evening; Maple Parking, Lexus Croydon and Jemca Toyota who we would not be able to run the event without.

Our host for the evening, fitness and positivity coach Ben Davie, encouraged our guests to take a seat as he spoke about his journey with mental health and the ways in which he has introduced mindfulness into his life via ice baths and physical activity. He also explained one of our brand-new features, ‘The Giving Tree’ which was kindly donated by Knights Garden Centre in Betchworth. This tree allowed our guests to pledge something to the charity whether that was a financial donation, a pledge of their time or an offer to donate a raffle prize for 2024. We were blown away by the number of pledges on the evening and the kind and thought-out gestures given to us by those who took part. This was then followed by an amazing presentation from the Rayner Family who transported our guests through the year explaining the magnitude of those we have helped and the vast array of events we have organised or been involved in.

A firm favourite was next, our red and yellow game hosted by Terry Sims which is always a brilliant icebreaker for the evening and a top way to encourage generous donations from the get-go. This aspect of the evening alone raised an incredible £2245 and saw one of our lovely guests winning a 50-inch TV kindly sponsored by Richard Stephenson at Keymex Appliances.

Following this, dinner was served, and we were serenaded by two exceptional acts: Natalie Maclean with Shane Hill and Sophie Kisz. Once dinner was over and the drinks were flowing, we had the honour of hearing from our Guest Speaker George Sullivan who bravely told his story and shared details of the battle he has faced with his mental health. The speech symbolised the exact reason why charities like ours exist and was rightfully followed by a standing ovation.

Next up, Terry Sims hosted our live auction. We had seven incredible lots up for grabs including a Chelsea FC package, Niall Horan meet and greet tickets as well as an overnight stay in London with a £500 meal at Ivy Asia.

What better way to end this evening than introducing ‘The Edge Band UK’ as the first ever live band to feature at a Lucy Rayner Gala? The band were electric, with stamina like no other, and an exceptional repertoire that had the entire room up dancing.