July 5th 2019
A lesson in resilience
With a new committee and a new name, The Summer Lunch took place this week at Moulsford in glorious sunshine, raising money for Macmillan and Child Bereavement UK.
Three hundred and twenty ladies (and one or two gentlemen) sat down to listen to our guest speaker, Victoria Milligan, who gave an awe-inspiring speech about resilience. Victoria tragically lost her husband and daughter in a boating accident in Padstow six years ago. Her son was also badly injured and she lost her leg. Despite experiencing the most horrendous tragedies, Victoria’s speech was incredibly uplifting and the assembled guests were truly inspired, as the standing ovation clearly demonstrated.
Guests enjoyed shopping at a wide selection of high quality stalls, many new for this year, which were set up around the sides of the marquee-lined sports hall. A coffee van and shopping were open from 10am, and judging by the amount of shopping bags dotted around the hall, many took advantage of the opportunity to buy gifts and unique items. Thankfully 10% of all takings by the stalls were donated to Macmillan and CBUK so guests could shop guilt-free!
Representatives from both charities attended the event and sold hundreds of raffle tickets. The new ‘Bid on the Bling’ raffle, with a chance to win a topaz and diamond vintage necklace was also extremely popular. The silent auction was once again a big draw, with some phenomenal lots on offer including a rare whiskey, Grand Prix tickets and Ashes tickets. Thank you to parents and local businesses who donated such incredible prizes to the raffle and auction.
The delicious lunch was provided by a new caterer, 81 events, and guests also tucked in to homemade fudge over their coffee. Each guest also left with a bespoke candle provided by House of Bluebelle and cake from Mary Berry.
At the time of writing, the total raised is still being finalised but we are thrilled that the initial tally looks like being over £20,000!
Thank you to everyone who supported the event and we hope to see you next year!
The Summer Lunch Committee
