Goodwood wins award for Outstanding Support
At the RAF Benevolent Fund’s annual awards ceremony last night in London, the Outstanding Support from an Organisation award was won by Goodwood. The award recognises those organisations that the Fund receives dedicated support from, year after year, not only in raising vital funds but also acting as advocates, spreading the word about the work the charity does.
The RAF Benevolent Fund was chosen beneficiary for the 2018 Goodwood Revival, resulting in a generous donation of £45,465. This was raised through daily bucket collections and proceeds from the charity ball held on the festival’s Saturday evening.
Air Vice-Marshal David Murray, Chief Executive at the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “Huge congratulations to Goodwood for this well-deserved award. Our annual awards night is a fantastic opportunity to thank all of our incredible fundraisers and supporters, their enthusiasm and generosity truly means the world to us.
“This year’s awards take place in our centenary year, and this week we launched a major campaign to double the number of people we reach. This means that spreading the word about how the Fund can support the RAF Family is just as important as raising funds.
“By tirelessly showing their support and dedication, Goodwood is helping us achieve both goals, and for that I can’t begin to express our gratitude. From all of us here at the Fund – thank you.”
The Goodwood Revival had a central aviation theme in honour of the RAF’s centenary in 2018. The air display featured both Spitfires and Hurricanes to highlight the theme of ‘The Spirit of Aviation’. Not only did this result in a huge donation from Goodwood, it also allowed for charity exposure to around 150,000 people throughout the three days of the event.
In addition to supporting the Fund throughout Goodwood Revivial, Goodwood Road Racing Club’s 2018 Christmas Ball also raised a further £7,385 for the Fund.
A spokesperson collecting the award on behalf of Charles Gordon-Lennox, Duke of Richmond and Gordon and owner of Goodwood Estate, said: “In addition to motor racing, a very important part of the whole celebration of Goodwood is aircraft. In fact, the motor circuit was originally the perimeter track of RAF Westhampnett, which Douglas Bader famously flew his last flight from. The site has a rich history that we’re all very proud of, and it also continued to play an important part in the later years of the war and D-Day itself too.
“We’re keen to continue emphasising the importance of the RAF through our events here at Goodwood. This means we’re able to reach an audience not only of people who remember some of all that, but also a much younger audience who may not yet realise the importance of the Royal Air Force.”
Now in its seventh year, the RAF Benevolent Fund Awards recognise the outstanding contributions of its supporters, personnel on stations and corporate partners who support the charity each year. This year the Fund marks its 100th anniversary and to mark the milestone, it launched a major campaign earlier this week to double the number of people it helps.
The Join the Search. Change a Life campaign encourages the public to get thousands of RAF veterans and their families ‘back on the radar’ and, if they need it, accessing support that is rightfully theirs.
The Corporate Fundraising Activity of the Year award was presented by RAF Benevolent Fund Chairman Lawrie Haynes at the event at Plaisterers’ Hall last night in London.