Keen golfers headed out for the 16th year onto the world-renowned eighteen-hole course on the afternoon of Sunday 14th August 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 and canapé reception. With the sun beginning to set, guests took to their seats for the gala dinner which was opened with speeches from the charity’s founder David Nicholls and David Colyer who spoke on the behalf of The Oxfordshire’s generous owners, Paul and Jennifer Gibbons.
Guests were treated to a stunning three-course dinner prepared by Head Chef of Dinner by Heston, Jon Bowring, along with his team from the Mandarin Oriental London. Following dinner, the room was lit up with an array of West End musical songs performed by Stage Right Entertainment, including classics from Les Miserables and ABBA.
The buzz from the entertainment continued as the Live Auction began, hosted by Nick Bonham of Bonhams Auction House. With thirteen world-class prizes including a number of Mandarin Oriental luxury hotel stays; Craigellachie Hotel stay with dinner at the Copper Dog and whisky tasting at Quaich, Aston Martin for the weekend and a British & Irish Lions blazer presented by nsif patron and Welsh rugby legend, Ieuan Evans.
Guests also had the opportunity to bid on a further twenty-seven ‘money can’t buy’ prizes on the night in the Silent Auction, which included the legendary ‘Nothing lot’ which raised a generous £800, which was all run through the online platform Givergy.
It was a fabulous evening and the bids were hotter than the weather. Just over £64,000 was raised from the auction alone, exceeding last years total.
The following morning, after enjoying a hearty breakfast, twenty-seven 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 Allan Lamb, took home a golfing holiday.
nsif’s Golf Day is our charity’s biggest event. A big thank you goes out to all those who have supported it over the years. 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 £116,000 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!
