11 Jul 2016
Our Summer Gala, which took place on Thursday 30th June at Guildhall in the heart of the City of London, has raised an incredible £207,000 so far. The spectacular venue provided the perfect backdrop for the evening’s festivities, hosted by comedian Andy Parsons and attended by over 360 guests who turned out to show their support for the charity.
One of the main highlights of the night was when Victoria, an ex-patient who was run over by a lorry when cycling, took to the stage to tell her deeply moving story with Dr Simon Walsh, one of the doctors who helped save her life. Guests also had the opportunity to meet and spend the evening with some of our clinical and aviation crew, who joined them for a champagne reception followed by a gourmet three-course dinner.
Mark Davies, Director of Development at London’s Air Ambulance, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have raised this astonishing amount of money. The £207,000 will go a long way towards helping save lives in London, in fact this would enable our advanced trauma team to reach around 78 critically injured people by helicopter and provide life-saving treatment on scene within minutes of their injury.”
Photo: Guests bidding in silent auction on the night
Other highlights from the evening included entertainment from Feeding the Fish, a state of the art juggling show using electronic illuminated props, and the live auction led by Sotheby’s auctioneer Phillip Errington. Top prizes included a framed copy of iconic magazine “The Face” with Bowie cover and a trip to see the Northern Lights in Finland.
Photo: Sotheby’s Phillip Errington auctioning the prizes live
Mark added: “A huge thank you to all our guests who supported the charity by attending on the night, those who gave up their time to make an inspiring night, including Andy Parsons, Victoria and our other patients who attended and everyone who donated prizes. With special thanks to our Gala committee, including Chair James Charrington, Richard Harris, Fiona Clutterbuck, Juliet Solomon and Dr Anne Weaver, for their guidance and support in making the night a success and a big thank you to all our amazing staff and volunteers.”
