On Thursday 18th November, our flagship Guildhall Dinner took place in London, raising over £870,000 for RMA – The Royal Marines Charity, with pledges of support still coming in.
Returning after a year away due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the event was compered by Phil Gilby MBE and award-winning comedian, Nick Page.
An opening address was delivered by Commandant General Royal Marines Lieutenant General Rob Magowan CB CBE, who reinforced the work of the Charity, in particular, our Lifting The Lid campaign which seeks to promote positive mental health in the Corps Family.
Now in its fifth year, the dinner, held in the Great Hall at London’s Guildhall featured music from The Bands of HM Royal Marines Collingwood, along with videos and speeches explaining some of the charity’s recent work.
A live, conducted by Lord Jeffrey Archer and silent auction accompanied the evening, featuring unique prizes and experiences, including sniper experience and a survival experience with Mission Mindset.
A feature of the auction was Lee Spencer’s Solo Atlantic Challenge Bremont Watch. Now known as ‘The Rowing Marine’, Lee, crossed the finishing line on 10th March 2019 on his solo Atlantic row, becoming the first physically disabled person to row solo and unsupported from mainland Europe to mainland America. Lee remarkably smashed the previous able-bodied record of 96 days, 12 hours and 45 minutes.
The Limited-Edition Royal Marines Commando Watch is exclusively engraved with Lee Spencer’s Service Number and details of Lee’s World Record achievement.
To conclude the event, the Sir Donald Gosling Sword of Honour was presented to Mark Slatter, Chairman of Olympian Homes.
The sword is presented annually to the business that has provided the most significant support to RMA – The Royal Marines Charity over the previous 12 months.
The Sir Donald Gosling Sword is a Royal Marines Officers’ Sword individually commissioned in 2014 to celebrate the 350th Anniversary of the Royal Marines.
Sir Donald Gosling was a tremendous supporter of RMA – The Royal Marines Charity and other Naval Service charities. It is the wish of his family that his name, legacy and association with RMA – The Royal Marines Charity continues through the annual presentation of The Sir Donald Gosling Sword of Honour.
RMA – The Royal Marines Charity would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone that attended the event. We could not continue our life-changing work without you.
Our special thanks to our headline sponsors Patron Capital and supporting sponsor, Lynn Fordham.
To learn more about next year’s event, please email Caroline Casey.