Have a ball with SPARKS ….

Athens 2004 Ball, 23^rd June 2004

       Organised by SPARKS, The British Olympic Association           and The Sir Steve Redgrave Charitable Trust

The Athens 2004 Ball, hosted by Sir Steve Redgrave, was a fantastic night raising almost £120,000 for SPARKS, The Sir Steve Redgrave Charitable Trust and the British Olympic Foundation,  the three charities who came together to organise the ball.

London’s Battersea Park Marquee was the venue on the evening of Wednesday 23^rd June where almost 800 people joined us in wishing Team GB every success at the 2004 Olympic Games.

Guests spent the evening with top class sportspeople and Olympians and enjoyed spectacular live entertainment from Gabrielle, Mike and the Mechanics and Brit Award nominee, Amy Winehouse before moving on into the night club area for further dancing. The marquee was themed by Logistik Ltd who made the event look wonderful with an Olympic theme which added to the fantastic atmosphere of the evening.

Guests went away with fantastic prizes including a new Olympic edition Rover Streetwise car signed by all the Olympians present on the night and trips to Athens, staying in five-star hotels with tickets to the Games.

The event was broadcast by BBC Radio 2.

 SPARKS Fashion Show … helping you step out in style.

The fourth annual SPARKS Fashion Show, sponsored by Gillette, brought the Hurlingham Club alive on Wednesday 20^th October with over 400 guests. It was the biggest and best show yet, with top showbiz and sports names, who teamed up with some of the biggest stars of the fashion world.

Hosted by popular London Radio DJ Martin Collins and TV’s Jayne Middlemiss, this year’s event, which was also sponsored by The Royal Mint, switched to a prestigious new venue at London’s Hurlingham Club. Ultra fashionable Radio 1 DJ, DJ Lottie provided the sounds for the show and the after show party.

Top names from the fashion world involved in the event that has quickly established itself as one of the highlights of the charity fashion calendar, included Ghost, Marc Wallace, Ben de Lisi, Elspeth Gibson, Philip Treacy, Jenny Packham, Gieves and Hawkes, Maria Grachvogel, Il Gufo, General Leather Company, Nicole Farhi, Hackett and Vedette.  The show was styled by Gemma Shanley, of TV’s the X-Factor and Pop Idol.

Gillette offered a luxurious spa area where guests had the opportunity to learn from the experts about glamorous hair from Braun, radiant smile from Oral B and silky smooth legs from Venus.

The Royal Mint unveiled its stunning new ‘Royal Mint Classics’ jewellery range.  The range has been developed in association with Caryn Franklin, famous as the face of TV’s classic ‘The Clothes Show’.

Fundraising was boosted by a spectacular auction, conducted by Will O’Reilly from Christies; and raffle with fantastic prizes donated by companies like Luxury Destinations Ltd & Rhode School of Cuisine, Powder Byrne, Rigby & Peller, The Cinnamon Club, Crabtree & Evelyn, Glamour, Condé Nast Traveller and Tatler.

OK! Magazine was once again the official media partner and the Fashion Show appears in issue number 445 of the magazine.

The evening was a great success, enjoyed by all – many thanks to everyone who supported the show and SPARKS – a record amount of £29,000 was raised at the event.

Watch this space for details of the 2005 Fashion Show…..

Friday 14th May 2004

The Hoplands Farm Charity Shoot on Friday 14^th May was a success, raising £12,500 to be shared between SPARKS and the League of Friends of Romsey Hospital. The challenging sporting stands, beautiful surroundings, blue skies and entertaining flurries ensured all who attended had a great time.

We at SPARKS are looking forward to next year shoot and would like to say a big thank you to Nigel Wolstenholme, Vicki Cook, Hildon Water and everyone else involved in making the shoot so successful.

SPARKS celebrity patrons who participated in the shoot included our Vice President Bernard Cribbins, 5^th Gear’s Tiff Needell, Gladiator RIO- Jane Omorogbe and Miss Great Britain- Louise Lakin.

This year’s SPARKS Winter Ball will be held on Thursday 16^th December 2004 in the prestigious Grand Ballroom at the Hilton, Park Lane.

The Winter Ball is the highlight of the SPARKS social calendar, hosted by SPARKS Royal Patron, HRH Princess Michael of Kent and attended by Britain’s top sports and entertainment personalities. Celebrities who have attended include: Sven Goran Erikkson, Sir Steven Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, Jimmy Hill, Martin Johnson, Patrick Viera and Anna Walker.

The evening will be a spectacular occasion of glamour and fun, comprising of a champagne reception, 4-course meal with wine and an array of fantastic entertainment. Over 750 guests attend including executives from leading blue chip corporations and sporting associations such as Airmiles, The PGA, British Gas and M&C Saatchi.

What makes this years ball even more exciting is that after a fantastic year’s fundraising we can potentially break the £1million (net) mark from the funds raised at the Ball.

The tables for this exclusive event have now sold out, however for information about next years ball please email [email protected] and we shall add you to the mailing list.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

The Princess Michael of Kent Polo Trophy

SPARKS would like to thank Simon and Clare Tomlinson and all at Beaufort Polo Club for hosting the ninth annual Princess Michael of Kent SPARKS Polo Trophy on Saturday 3^rd July.

The day commenced with a champagne reception during which guests had the opportunity to mingle with HRH Princess Michael and celebrities Robert Powell, Richard Meade and Roger Uttley.

During lunch, guests took part in some entertaining fundraising activities such as Heads and Tails led by Roger Uttley and an auction, conducted by Robert Powell, including prizes such as a signed Martin Johnson shirt and a unique sponsorship package at Newmarket Racecourse.

The day was a great success and with the addition of a prize draw the event raised a total of £10,000 to be directly invested into the groundbreaking medical research projects that SPARKS funds.

Many thanks to all who contributed to the day and all those who attended. We hope you will join us again next year!

If you would like further information about 2005’s event, please contact Caroline on 020 7340 0682 or [email protected]. 

Alternatively, if you are interested in sponsorship opportunities please refer to the sponsorship section by clicking here.