HEINEKEN UK has celebrated its new charity partnership with Marmalade Trust by hosting a glittering gala ball at the stunning Monastery in Manchester.
The evening saw the amount raised tip over the £90,000 mark, with colleagues, licensees and customers all digging deep to raise vital money for the UK’s leading loneliness awareness charity.
The evening began with a warm welcome from HEINEKEN UK Managing Director, Boudewijn Haarsma, alongside a gourmet three course dinner, entertainment from a live band, a charity auction, and superstar DJ Edith Bowman ended the night on a high with hits that filled the dancefloor.
The ball was the climax of three months of focused fundraising from HEINEKEN, with colleagues across the country raising money in a number of different ways – from tracking physical activity, to pub quizzes, bake sales, cycling challenges and more.
The new partnership between HEINEKEN UK and Marmalade Trust sees them working together on initiatives to raise awareness of loneliness within HEINEKEN and the wider hospitality industry, including the introduction of loneliness awareness training for HEINEKEN colleagues, which the company plans to also offer to staff in its pub estate.
James Crampton, Corporate Affairs Director for HEINEKEN UK says: “By their very nature, local pubs can be like a home from home, and incredibly important place for people to make social connections. For some, that half a pint a week on a Thursday night in their local might be their only meaningful social connection. Pubs are at the heart of communities. They are places where we meet family and friends, make new connections, laugh, share problems, and build bonds.
“The money raised for the Marmalade Trust will help them continue their purpose of raising awareness of loneliness and how it can affect every one of us, and putting in place ways to help people.”
Hatty Goodwin, Chair of Trustees for Marmalade Trust said: “The generosity of our friends and partners at HEINEKEN UK has been incredible, after just three months they have raised over £90,000 to support Marmalade Trust! Culminating in a magical charity ball, truly celebrating bringing people together and the joy of community. The funds raised will make a huge impact helping us to empower those experiencing chronic loneliness to find new social connection and to raise awareness of loneliness on a national level. Thank you HEINEKEN UK – it is a joy to partner with you.”
The evening included a charity auction which saw some fierce bidding wars as lots included exclusive and highly coveted items, such as VIP tickets to the Champions League final, providing the opportunity for football enthusiasts to witness the pinnacle of European football. Additionally, the auction included a VIP backstage tour of Coronation Street, granting fans of the iconic British soap opera an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience.
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Notes to editors
About HEINEKEN UK:
Headquartered in Edinburgh, HEINEKEN is the UK’s leading pub, cider and beer business. The company owns around 2,400 pubs as part of its Star Pubs & Bars business and employs around 2,100 people. We are passionate about our cider and beer brands and the outstanding service that we offer to our customers. Our unrivalled portfolio of brands includes Heineken® 0.0, Heineken®, Foster’s, Strongbow, Cruzcampo, John Smith’s, Inch’s Cider, Amstel, Birra Moretti and Old Mout, backed by a full range of niche and specialty brands. HEINEKEN also owns Beavertown and Brixton Brewery.
About Marmalade Trust
Marmalade Trust is a charity dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness and empowering people to make connections. In everything they do, from global awareness campaigns to community events in its Bristol hometown, the charity is all about encouraging conversation and connection. Marmalade Trust encourages people to see loneliness as an experience, not as a condition. By building a greater awareness and acceptance of loneliness, we can help ourselves and others to manage the feeling. Marmalade Trust was started in 2013 by healthcare professional Amy Perrin and has recently celebrated its tenth anniversary.
Contact: Joanna Dring, Joanna.DRING@heineken.co.uk
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