Football legend John Barnes was the guest speaker at the Best of British charity sporting lunch at The Grand Hotel in Brighton on Friday 24 September.
With 480 guests in attendance, this was the largest event in aid of Rockinghorse since lock-down measures were eased and raised over £31,000.
Staff and volunteers from Rockinghorse
The Best of British Brighton lunch, generously sponsored by Rubix VT, had the pleasure of hosting John Barnes, the legendary Liverpool and England left-winger turned TV football pundit, for the afternoon.
John regaled the guests with tales of his life and career, including some great stories about his involvement in the England team at the 1990 World Cup, the team manager Bobby Robson and his fellow England legend Gazza.
During the event Ryan Heal, Director of Best of British, welcomed guests and thanked John for being such an enjoyable speaker: “It’s so wonderful to be back with everyone at this great venue to support a cause so close to my heart. We’ve really missed being able to get together and having John here for the afternoon has really put the cherry on the cake.”
The money raised at the event will go towards funding a range of projects and equipment aimed at supporting poorly babies and children throughout Sussex.
Nick Poyner from Rubix VT with John Barnes
These include resuscitation training equipment for St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, toys to distract children waiting to be treated in the A&E department of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and a battery pack to power a resuscitaire in the Trevor Mann Baby Unit, helping to transport premature babies safely from the maternity ward to the specialist unit.
Janella Merritt, Head of Fundraising at Rockinghorse, spoke on behalf of the charity: “Thanks to everyone who came along to support us today. It’s so great to be at another Best of British event and to hear from the legend that is John Barnes, not to mention everyone’s generosity in helping raise so much for Rockinghorse.”
Nick Poyner, Managing Director at Rubix VT, was really pleased to be able to support the event: “Having started Rubix VT in September 2020, we’re fortunate to be able to sponsor today’s event and this wonderful charity. I’ve supported and sponsored Rockinghorse over many years, even running a marathon for them, and will continue to do so in the future.”
To find out more about the current projects that Rockinghorse is funding, please click here.
