Fundraising Dinner raises over £30,000

Ipswich Town Foundation is delighted to announce that its inaugural Fundraising Dinner, held on Thursday evening in the Sir Bobby Robson Suite at Portman Road, has raised more than £30,000.

All funds raised from the evening will be reinvested back into communities across Suffolk and beyond, as the Foundation continues on its mission to produce an empowered, inspired and inclusive community to be proud of.

The evening, sponsored by Cotswold Gas Solutions, was a great success, with Mark Ashton, Kieran McKenna, Berke Bakay, Conor Chaplin, Natasha Thomas and George Edmundson, as well as Foundation Principal Partner Michael Barrington-Hibbert, among the guests in attendance.

Host Matt Holland discussed the Foundation’s work with Mark Ashton, before inviting Helen Seager, a participant of our Golden Days Café, on stage to discuss the impact the sessions had on her and her late husband Pete.

Guests then enjoyed a three-course meal, before hearing from Town hero David Johnson, who discussed his time at the Club, his Academy upbringing at Manchester United, and his thoughts on Town’s season to date.

Director of Foundation Dan Palfrey then addressed the guests, before Lyndsey, Ashleigh and Timmy Hetherington were invited on stage to discuss the impact of the Foundation’s Youth Disability sessions on their family through a difficult summer, as well as their experience meeting and watching Town’s victory over Hull City last month with Ed Sheeran.

With the discussion finished for the evening, auctioneer Ed Crichton then led guests through bidding for a number of items, including a signed Ed Sheeran shirt, a pair of matchworn Nathan Broadhead boots, and an old Portman Road turnstile.

The Foundation would like to thank everyone who contributed to a fantastic evening, with special thanks to the evening’s main sponsor, Cotswold Gas Solutions, to our participants Helen, Lyndsey, Ashleigh and Timmy for agreeing to share their stories with us, and to David Johnson for agreeing to come along and entertain our guests throughout the evening.