On Saturday the 4th March, Burnley FC in the Community hosted their annual Charity Dinner at the fabulous Hilton Deansgate, Manchester. It was an unforgettable evening which raised a record-breaking, minimum of £60,000 on the night, with totals still being counted!
Joined by Vincent Kompany and the Burnley FC First Team, it was a night to remember. Three hundred guests joined us to raise much needed funds for the charity, to support the community of Burnley and surrounding areas.
The evening was hosted by footballing legend Dion Dublin and TalkSPORT presenter Natalie Sawyer, who got processions off to a brilliant start with an interactive game that quickly raised £3,600!
Guests were treated to a delicious three course a la carte dinner, during which they were shown success stories from a range of participants, and the impact that the Charity has had on them. The stories were uplifting, emotional, and set the tone for the purpose of this important event.
To view all the pictures from the event, click below:
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Throughout the evening, guests were able to bid on the silent auction and pledge money for worthy causes within the charity. During the live auction, there were a number of elite prizes, including a signed Lionel Messi shirt (which started a bidding war within the audience), alongside a money-can’t-buy ‘breakfast with the manager’ experience, which raised £15,000 alone!
During the event, Dion and Natalie invited three of the first team players: Jack Cork, Ashley Barnes and Nathan Tella for a no holds barred Q&A, which was then followed by an exclusive interview with Vincent Kompany, who spoke of the importance of the Community, and the role football plays in a town like Burnley.
The night ended on a high with headline band ‘Scouting for Girls’, finishing off the event in a spectacular manner.
‘We are sincerely grateful for the support we have received. Not only was this an opportunity to showcase all the great work that takes place in the community, it was a memorable night celebrating the work of the charity and really highlighted what a great Club and Community Burnley FC and Burnley FC in the Community are.
At the latest count we have raised over £60,000, which is a record-breaking amount for the charity, and testament to the huge success of the night.’
Helen Gurman, CEO of Burnley FC in the Community
Burnley FC in the Community would like thank the event organisers, partners, Burnley Football Club, Vincent Kompany, the full first team and coaches, as well as supporters of the charity, for the support received at this once-in-a-lifetime event.
If you would like to get involved with future fundraising events for Burnley FC in the Community, please contact the Charity’s Head of Partnerships and Fundraising, Ben Bottomley: b.bottomley@burnleyfc.com
