The 1st & 2nd August marked our 15th Annual Golf Event, held at The Oxfordshire Golf Hotel & Spa. With the difficulties faced over the past eighteen months, we are thrilled to have been able to see the event go ahead in its normal two-day format.
Keen golfers headed out onto the world-renowned 18-hole course on Sunday afternoon to get a practice round in. On their return, they joined over 125 guests on the terrace overlooking the stunning grounds of the hotel for a Champagne canapé reception.
With the sun beginning to set, guests took their seats for the Gala Dinner, which was opened with speeches from the charity’s founder, David Nicholls, and David Colyer, who spoke on behalf of The Oxfordshire’s generous owners, Paul and Jennifer Gibbons.
Guests were treated to an exquisite three-course dinner prepared by Head Chef of Dinner by Heston, Tom Allen, along with his team from the Mandarin Oriental London. Some even described the iconic ‘Tipsy Cake’ as the best dessert they had ever eaten.
Following dinner, the room lit up as an array of West End musical songs were performed by Stage Right Entertainment, including classics from Les Miserables and The Jersey Boys.
The buzz from the entertainment continued as the Live Auction began, hosted by Nick Bonham of Bonhams Auction House. With eleven world-class prizes including a number of Mandarin Oriental luxury hotel stays; lunch at Angela Hartnett’s Michelin-Starred Murano hosted by Angela and Tom Parker Bowles; and a British & Irish Lions jersey signed by the 2021 squad presented by nsif patron and Welsh rugby legend, Ieuan Evans.
Guests also had the opportunity to bid on a further nineteen ‘money can’t buy’ prizes both on the night and up to four days after the event in the Silent Auction, which was run through Givergy.
The following morning, after enjoying a hearty breakfast, twenty-eight teams took to the course to compete for the top spot. The day concluded with the famous Golf Day Brunch and prize-giving in which the winning team, led by Ben Page, took home a golfing holiday.
The Golf Day is the charity’s biggest event. A big thank you goes out to all those who have supported it over the years, particularly over the last eighteen months through the pandemic. Every attendee, prize donor, auction bidder and member of the support team made an important contribution, making this year’s event a huge success. Now, more than ever, we are incredibly grateful for everyone’s support. A special thanks goes to Jennifer and Paul Gibbons for allowing us to host the tournament at their resort, as well as the Mandarin Oriental who not only donated numerous fantastic prizes, but the food and beverage team volunteered their time, providing impeccable service throughout the event.
This year’s event raised over £100,000 gross, with all proceeds funding the ground-breaking work into changing the future of spinal cord injury. Once again, thank you and we look forward to seeing you all next year!
