The date for the Sports Tour Fundraising Dinner has been announced! The dinner will take place on Saturday 4 March 2017. Friends, family and members of the local community are warmly welcomed to attend the dinner. Visit the College to enjoy an evening with famous sports stars, a sumptuous three course meal and live entertainment. The evening will be in aid of the Sports Tours Fund, helping to raise money to send Shiplake’s budding athletes on the tour of a lifetime.
The Sports Tour Dinner will see such famous sporting faces join members of the Shiplake community and answer your questions. Old Viking Will Satch, who left the College in 2007, will return to his alma mater as an Olympic champion. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask Will questions, learning about his sporting career and tips for youngsters looking to become a professional athlete. In 2012, Will was a relatively unknown rower, but rocketed into the limelight when he and Men’s Pair partner George Nash won a Bronze medal at the London Olympics. Will went on to win medals from three European Championships and a host of World Cup Golds, before stroking the Men’s Eight to a victory in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He will be joined by Crista Cullen. Crista was part of the Great Britain squad, which won Bronze at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and Bronze in the 2012 London Olympics. She was named in the International Hockey Federation World Star XI followed the 2006 Hockey World Cup, as well as being named the 2006 Great Britain Hockey Athlete of the Year. Crista has earned a staggering 171 international caps, and was then asked to come out of retirement to play for Great Britain in the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning an Olympic Gold medal.
Attendees will also enjoy a sumptuous three course meal, and entertainment from a live band, led by Old Viking and star of BBC One’s The Voice Jamie Bruce. Jamie has been a professional musician for 15 years, and has a prestigious list of gigs under his belt. Perhaps the pinnacle was supporting Bon Jovi at the London O2, with band The Velvet Hearts. Jamie is a master showman onstage, with such infectious energy and enthusiasm. Alongside this, an auction will be run by Old Viking and Cash in the Attic extraordinaire Jonty Hearnden. Jonty, a seasoned television presenter, is one of the most recognisable faces on TV. He will be running the charity auction, helping to raise funds for the tours. We have been fortunate enough to secure an outstanding main prize for the auction: a pair of all-inclusive tickets for the upcoming 2017 British and Lions Tour to New Zealand, including flights, accommodation, transfers, match tickets to all three Tests, access to exclusive supporters’ bars and tour merchandise. For something closer to home, why not celebrate St Patrick’s weekend in Dublin with a pair of all-inclusive tickets to the RBS Six Nations match between Ireland and England, including return flights, two night’s accommodation and match tickets? Bidding is open for these incredible prizes and closes on Friday 9 December; please click here to visit the auction site.
We are grateful for the tremendous amount of support for this event, which provides our pupils with unique opportunities to benefit from new experiences. If you are willing or able to donate a prize for the auction or raffle – be it a piece of sporting equipment or memorabilia, a stay in a holiday home, a luxury item or service, we would be most grateful. Tickets are £75.00 each. Please complete the form below to secure your place at the dinner.