Best of British Events meets Frank Bruno: ‘We need to talk more about mental health’

Former boxing professional Frank Bruno shared his passion for boxing and the importance of embracing mental health.

More than 200 business leaders joined Best of British Events at The Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells to meet guest speaker and boxing legend Frank Bruno.

Frank Bruno MBE is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1996. Frank had a very successful career in boxing and continues to inspire many through his work in support of mental health. In addition to winning the WBC heavyweight title from Oliver McCall in 1995, Frank fought multiple top-rated heavyweights throughout his career, including former US world champion Mike Tyson and fellow UK and world champion Lennox Lewis.

During the event, Frank discussed the importance of discipline when fighting some of the world’s greatest boxers. This meant spending long periods of time away from his family and ignoring distractions that were at times set up by his opposition.

Frank also discussed what it was like to fight former world champion, Mike Tyson. He mentioned that he was surprised to have challenged Tyson in the ring. But despite his efforts, Tyson would come back stronger. Frank said, “He was a very dangerous and a high impact puncher.” Although Frank didn’t win, he embraced his losses and respected his opponents.

In addition to being a boxing legend, Frank is an advocate for mental health. Frank told the audience that we need to talk more about mental health and embrace vulnerabilities in the UK.

In 2003, the media reported that Frank had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Frank told host Ian Irving that it was difficult and embarrassing to deal with this publicly, while trying to manage his mental health.

Since then, he has worked on documentaries and a range of charitable initiatives that have encouraged more education and a change of attitudes towards mental health.

Attendees included leaders from a range of local businesses .They included: Rubix VT, TN Recruits, Webtrends Optimize, Lock Associates Group, Handelsbanken, Dev Assist and Brilliant Businesses UK.

This prestigious networking event was in aid of Taylor-Made Dreams – a local charity which is dedicated to enabling children with life limiting illnesses to achieve their dreams. Taylor-Made Dreams assists in the creation of a unique ‘Taylor-Made’ bucket list to meet the specific needs of children with terminal illnesses. The bucket list includes whatever the child can think of, from toys and experiences to meeting their favourite celebrities and holidays. CEO Suzanne Mitchell founded the charity after her son became terminally ill and she dedicated her time to making all his wishes come true.

With the support and generosity of guests and sponsors, this event raised £16,000 on the day.

Ryan Heal, CEO of Best of British Events, said: “It was an honour to meet Frank Bruno and listen to his inspiring story. Not only is Frank a boxing legend, but he is also genuinely a kind, caring and selfless individual. We really appreciate his time and presence, which significantly helped us to achieve our charitable objectives in support of the Taylor-Made Dreams charity.

“This was the first Best of British event in Tunbridge Wells, but it won’t be the last! This event sold out and we are extremely grateful to our guests and sponsors for being part of this memorable event.”

The annual Best of British Tunbridge Wells lunch will return on 11th October 2024. To book your table, please contact: info@bestofbritish.org.uk.

Best of British Events hosts a range of leading business networking events and fundraisers across Sussex and London. For more information, visit: https://bestofbritish.org.uk