On 14th November, a spectacular evening was held at Raffles, within The Old War Office in Whitehall, London as the British Forces Foundation held their 25th Anniversary Ball. As a trustee of this charity, I felt honoured to organise this important fundraising event. The night was planned to mark the very special milestone in the Foundation’s history, and to raise funds for the charity’s morale-boosting shows for servicemen and women stationed abroad, hosted by comedian Rob Brydon MBE, with fabulous entertainment from Katherine Jenkins OBE and Heather Small MBE.
The BFF was established in 1999 for British servicemen and women around the world to ensure they feel valued and appreciated for their service and sacrifices. Away from home and loved ones, often in isolated locations in austere environments with poor amenities and communications in itself is a challenge; not to mention when it’s exhausting, lonely and frightening. Contact with home in the form of a BFF show – using top-quality entertainment with international stars – is vital for morale and unit cohesion, whilst expressing the nation’s support, pride and admiration.
The guest list reflected a wonderful array of the great, the good and the beautiful, joining from around the world. The evening began with a cocktail reception featuring the mesmerising tones of harpist, Aime True whilst champagne and Cygnet Gin cocktails were flowing as guests arrived at the historic venue.
A bugle call encouraged the crowd to make their way to the Ballroom, soon to be greeted with a glorious sight of glistening candlelight atop the beautifully-decorated tables and views of the spectacular floral displays created non other than Royal florist, Shane Connolly & Co. With his usual charismatic charm, Rob Brydon welcomed guests and introduced Chairman of the British Forces Foundation, Air Vice Marshal Matt Wiles CB CBE to the stage who shared some heartfelt words around the core values of the Charity and the impact its patrons has on benefitting the livelihoods of servicemen and women and their loved ones.
The first course was served as Brydon outlined the activities of the evening, which included a live auction and raffle as well as entertainment. He then introduced the first performer for the evening, my fellow BFF Trustee, Katherine Jenkins OBE.
The acclaimed Welsh mezzo-soprano has been a steadfast supporter of the BFF throughout her career. Known for her exceptional voice and heartfelt performances, Katherine has become a cherished figure among the U.K.’s armed forces. She has participated in numerous BFF-organised events, often travelling to perform for servicemen and women stationed in challenging and remote locations, including war zones. This year, she wowed the crowd with a rendition of ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘L’amour est un oiseau rebelle’ from the opera, Carmen.
As a special surprise for the evening, Katherine was joined onstage by aspiring singer 14-year-old Nina Morgan, as they performed a rendition of ‘Never Enough’ from The Greatest Showman soundtrack. A highlight of the evening was a performance by the Royal Marines Band Collingwood who is one of the five principal bands of the Royal Marines Band Service. The highly trained musicians wowed guests with their choreographed performance, showcasing a blend of musical artistry and military discipline.
Mark Cann shared his sentiments around the charity and the impact he has witnessed it make across the world. “If I have one message; let me say, as if you need reminding this week, … in this increasingly dangerous world “the life we enjoy now has always, and will always, be preserved by young people marching towards danger for us and the values we hold dear as a nation, we owe those who serve and are willing to serve a great deal,” he said. Becoming the Director of the BFF not long after its inception in 2000, Cann has been a driving force behind the success of the organisation. At the closing of his speech, he introduced Veronica Scarpati from Christie’s, who was our live auctioneer for the night.
Veronica had the crowd in the palm of her hand as she called to the audience, encouraging bids for holiday getaways, a Chanel sequin and ruthenium bag, a private tour of the Aston Martin factory with a complimentary F1 steering wheel.
Moving ever closer to the night’s finale, the raffle was drawn and the silent auction concluded as legend Heather Small graced the stage. Singing hits such as ‘Moving on Up’ and ‘Proud,’ with the latter doing well to capture the mood of the evening. Finally The Soul Jets got everyone moving as their nine-strong ensemble encouraged even the most reserved to join the dancefloor.
At carriages guests were sent home with goodie bags containing gifts from a number of esteemed British businesses including Aspinal of London, Charles Tyrwhytt, Truefitt and Hill and Juana Pepa.
I would like to personally thank every individual and supplier for their contributions to the evening and helping us raise funds for an extraordinary cause.
