Rockinghorse round-up

John Barnes a smash hit at Best of British Brighton sporting lunch for Rockinghorse

Football legend John Barnes was the guest speaker at the Best of British charity sporting lunch at The Grand Hotel in Brighton on Friday 24 September.

With 480 guests in attendance, this was the largest event in aid of Rockinghorse since lock-down measures were eased and it raised over £31,000 for the well-loved Sussex children’s charity.

The Best of British Brighton lunch, generously sponsored by Rubix VT, had the pleasure of hosting John Barnes, the legendary Liverpool and England left-winger turned TV football pundit, for the afternoon. 

John regaled the guests with tales of his life and career, including some great stories about his involvement in the England team at the 1990 World Cup, the team manager Bobby Robson and his fellow England legend, Gazza. 

During the event Ryan Heal, Director of Best of British welcomed guests and thanked John for being such an enjoyable speaker: “It’s so wonderful to be back with everyone at this great venue to support a cause so close to my heart. We’ve really missed being able to get together and having John here for the afternoon has really put the cherry on the cake.” 

The money raised at the event will go towards funding a range of projects and equipment aimed at supporting poorly babies and children throughout Sussex. 

These include resuscitation training equipment for St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, toys to distract children waiting to be treated in the A&E department of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and a battery pack to power a resuscitaire in the Trevor Mann Baby Unit, helping to transport premature babies safely from the maternity ward to the specialist unit.

Janella Merritt, Head of Fundraising at Rockinghorse, spoke on behalf of the charity: “Thanks to everyone who came along to support us today. It’s so great to be at another Best of British event and to hear from the legend that is John Barnes, not to mention everyone’s generosity in helping raise so much for Rockinghorse.”

Nick Poyner, Managing Director at Rubix VT, was really pleased to be able to support the event: “Having started Rubix VT in September 2020, we’re fortunate to be able to sponsor today’s event and this wonderful charity. I’ve supported and sponsored Rockinghorse over many years, even running a marathon for them, and will continue to do so in the future.”

Rockinghorse is the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton. The charity has been supporting sick and disadvantaged children in Sussex for over 50 years. To find out more, visit www.rockinghorse.org.uk. 

Get your tickets for the Rockinghorse Emerald Ball!

Rockinghorse announces the return of their annual fundraising ball, celebrating their 55th year.

The charity will be hosting its major fundraising event of the year at The Grand Hotel in Brighton on Saturday 19 March 2022. The emerald-themed Ball will be sponsored by DMH Stallard and co-sponsored by FRP, Cardens Accountants, and Creative Pod.

It’s a welcome return for the ever-popular event after its cancellation in 2020 and this occasion will be celebrating the well-loved charity’s 55th anniversary, having been established by Dr Trevor Mann in 1967.

Rockinghorse is best-known for its work with the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and Trevor Mann Baby Unit in Brighton, but they also support the Special Care Baby Unit in Haywards Heath and many other children’s centres and paediatric services across Sussex.  

Next year’s ball will be raising money for a range of specialist equipment and support for children to help manage their mental health and wellbeing. During the last 18 months children’s mental health has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic with a big increase in admissions to hospital for mental health related issues.  

The charity is hoping that there will be a keen interest amongst their supporters to come along to the ball, especially after the lack of special occasions since the beginning of 2020. And they are hoping to raise a large sum of money to help support these much-needed projects throughout Sussex.

Rhian Walsh, Finance and Operations Director, said: “Our annual Ball provides a wonderful opportunity for supporters to come together and enjoy an evening of entertainment, whilst also helping us to raise vital funds. We’ve really missed being able to hold this event so we can’t wait to welcome everyone to our fantastic evening at the Grand Hotel.

“I’d like to thank our headline sponsors DMH Stallard for kindly supporting our Ball once again this year, and extend our thanks to co-sponsors FRP, Cardens Accountants, and Creative Pod for helping to make the event possible.”  

Tickets for The Rockinghorse Ball are now on sale, priced at £850 for a table of 10. And the charity is offering an early bird offer with a free bottle of bubbly for each table booked and paid for before the end of November 2021.

To book your table or for more information, call the charity on 01273 330044 or email enquiries@rockinghorse.org.uk 

Rockinghorse appoints new CEO

Rockinghorse Children’s Charity announces the appointment of Donna Holland as their new Chief Executive Officer.

Donna takes up her role with the well-loved children’s charity after working in the charity sector for the last 20 years, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position.

Her appointment follows on from Ryan Heal, the previous CEO, who stepped down earlier this year after eight successful years at the helm.

Donna joins Rockinghorse from Concordia where she was Deputy CEO, supporting the charity to expand and improve their youth programmes across Sussex. She has previously been Interim CEO at Brighton-based charity Maternity Worldwide, as well as holding senior roles with many national youth charities over the past twenty years. 

Donna is also currently a Trustee of Grassroots, the Brighton-based, suicide prevention charity and she has held trustee roles at several other national and local charities. Her passion has always been working for charities that support children and young people. 

Phil Frier, Chair of Trustees for Rockinghorse said: “We are delighted to welcome Donna to the Rockinghorse family and we’re really looking forward to working with her. She brings a wealth of experience in leading charities with a collaborative, kind and compassionate approach, not to mention a passion for supporting children and young people and for the local area of Sussex.

She joins us at a pivotal time for the charity after a challenging 18 months, but we believe that we have made a strong choice in selecting someone with the strategic vision to lead Rockinghorse through the next phase of our development.”

And Donna is really looking forward to a new challenge. She said: “I am delighted to be leading Rockinghorse into the next chapter of its incredible history. I have long admired the work they do, and it is a tremendous privilege to have been chosen for this role. 

“As someone who lives and works in Sussex, I’ve seen first-hand the impact the charity has and I’m really looking forward to continuing the vital work of Rockinghorse with a team that shows professionalism, warmth and understanding of the issues faced by sick and disabled babies, children and teenagers across Sussex.”

Phil added: “Donna is joining an incredible staff team with a great mix of skills and experience along with a brilliant team of committed and expert fundraisers and administrators. We believe that with this appointment, Rockinghorse has the right team to carry out our mission of supporting the children’s hospital and other local children’s health provision.”

Donna added: “I am very much looking forward to getting to know all the incredible projects we are currently fundraising for, and I’m determined to ensure that every pound raised for Rockinghorse is spent on making the maximum impact for sick and disabled babies, children and teenagers across Sussex. I can’t wait to meet everyone and get started!”

Donna starts her role on 1 November.

To find out more about Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, take a look at their website at www.rockinghorse.org.uk.