Success of Centenary Runners and Riders Dinner
A night at the races raises money for the Students Opportunities Fund
Thursday 4 October 2007
By Naomi Weston
An evening of horseracing in celebration of Imperial College London’s Centenary and to raise money for the Students Opportunities Fund took place on Thursday 27 September. The Support Services ‘Runners and Riders’ Benefit Dinner attracted over 650 guests from over 80 of the College’s major advisers, suppliers and consultants and is one of the biggest fundraising events of the year.
The evening commenced with champagne and canapes accompanied by the Imperial College Big Band. Guests, along with the 70 hosts from across the Support Service teams, then moved down to the marquee on the Queen’s Lawn for a four course dinner followed by the races.
Six feature races were shown over the evening involving eight horses per race. Guests placed their bets on their favoured horse and with a minimum bet of £2. Successful guests were then encouraged to donate their lucky winnings to the Students Opportunities Fund which is a scholarship programme helping bright, talented students, who otherwise, would not be able to afford higher education.
In total the event achieved a surplus of over £41,000 – sufficient to begin a campaign to make the event an annual occasion.
Since 2003, over £1 million has been raised towards the Student Opportunities Fund and 42 undergraduates and 18 postgraduates have begun and in some cases completed their education at the College.
Dr Martin Knight, Chief Operating Officer, said: “The main purpose of the Runners and Riders Dinner was to raise money for the Student Opportunities Fund but it was also an opportunity to thank all our partners we work with.” He added: “In our Centenary year, the money raised will inspire the next generation of great minds. Thanks to the generosity of organisations that attended the dinner, more students will have the chance of attending Imperial.”
Sponsors of the first three horses in each race also won prizes which included two return tickets on the Virgin Atlantic network, an Apple laptop computer, a weekend for two in Edinburgh and a satellite navigation system.
The event was supported by a number of companies, but the organisers were particularly grateful for the support from the ‘Ascot’ sponsors: Arup Project Management; Laing O’Rourke; Prolinx; Savills and Unite.
© 2007 Imperial College London
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