BEST. BOB. BALL. EVER.

Band of Builders has hosted its biggest, best and most successful annual charity fundraising ball and auction – raising more than £30,000 for our charity.

More than 370 people attended our themed Greatest Showman Ball, which was held at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham on Friday 14th October 2022. This is nearly two and a half times the number who attended last year’s James Bond Ball in a Warwickshire hotel.

There was a great mix of volunteers, supporters, corporate sponsors, well-wishers, previous beneficiaries and businesses from across the construction industry, who all came together not only to enjoy a wonderful evening but also to celebrate our achievements and to raise much-needed funds so that we can keep helping people in the construction industry who are battling illness or injury by making a life-changing difference to them and their families.

As people arrived at the venue, they were greeted by a hot air balloon sporting the BoB logo in the car park. There was then a drinks reception, followed by a delicious three-course meal, Greatest Showman-themed entertainment, a live auction and raffles, casino tables, and, of course, a dancefloor that was always full.

The MC for the evening was comedian Paul Sinha – who is best known as “The Sinnerman” on the hugely popular ITV quiz show The Chase. As well as entertaining the assembled audience with a comedy routine, Paul also hosted the awards section of the evening, where we recognised the achievements of those who have gone above and beyond to support our charity.

Awards

There were five awards given out on the night:

• Individual Fundraiser of the Year – this went to Richard Croft in recognition of his fundraising activities, including running the London Marathon.
• Team Fundraiser of the Year – this recognised the efforts of the 13 volunteers who took on and completed the iconic 84-mile Hadrian’s Wall Walk in four days. The event was organised by Martin O’Donnell.
• Corporate Fundraiser of the Year – this went to Jewson North for organising the Monster Splash event, which proved to be an amazing event.
• Outstanding Contribution to Projects – sadly, Kevin Choat could not attend to pick up his award, which recognised his contributions to nine projects and his role as the project lead on Audra’s project this summer.
• The Keith Ellick Award (sponsored by DEWALT) – this is our most iconic and treasured award because it’s voted for by our volunteers. Martin O’Donnell was the deserved recipient for his fundraising and involvement in a raft of projects.

Thank yous

The success of the event was down to a handful of committed volunteers who planned the event – from booking Paul Sinha to bagging up the popcorn favours and everything in-between, such as setting up the room for the evening.

A big thank you from the BoB community goes to the Events Team of Louise Stevenson and Richard Croft, with support from Gavin Crane, Carlina and Billy Thomasson, Helena Croft, Tim Height, Dave Seal and Martin O’Donnell.

The Events Team aren’t resting on their laurels and already have one eye on next year’s event, because they know this year’s ball will be a hard act to follow.

Louise said that the theme of the event was key to its success. “The theme creates the atmosphere, and this year there were plenty of props and general décor, which signalled that, like the film, Band of Builders had put on one hell of a show,” said Louise.

Richard added: “It was a magical evening, with everyone having a brilliant time and really enjoying themselves – which means we have set the bar really high for next year.”