Celebrating installing home cinemas worth £1 million into children’s hospices and respite centres around the UK, Together For Cinema held a celebratory dinner featuring a live auction, raising a total of £45,000.
Held on the 16 May at Epsom Racecourse in the UK, the event saw 300 people from the industry, including manufacturers, distributors and installers who have donated kit or given their time and expertise to install cinema rooms in 45 children’s hospices and other deserving venues across the UK. There were also representatives from some of the venues in attendance at the event too.
To raise extra funds for the Community Interest Company, a live auction was held, featuring prizes that ranged from a Formula 2 hospitality day with the Hitech Racing Team, a new Epson EH-LS650B projector and a meet a greet with snooker legend, Jimmy White. The big prize of the night was the opportunity to sing live on stage at the end of the evening with Chesney Hawkes, who was the entertainment for the evening.
Chesney Hawkes is a patron of White Lodge Centre in Chertsey, which provides services and support for people of all ages with disabilities, and Chesnut Tree House Children’s Hospice in Arundel, West Sussex, both of which have received home cinema installations from Together For Cinema.
The evening ended with a raucous rendition of The One and Only which saw Chesney share the stage and microphone with Mark Davis from GLO AV and Harry Hawkins from Flux London, who both agreed to share the star prize after a bidding war. A total of £20,200 was raised from the auction before an astounding show of generosity which saw Future Automation’s owner, Alun Williams match the auction revenue generated, giving a total of over £45,000 raised on the evening.
“I made this donation as part of the Together For Cinema celebration dinner to further support their mission of creating inspiring and transformative cinema installations,” said Williams. “These spaces provide the opportunity for much needed moments of joy and escape for children and their families during challenging times. I am proud to support this incredible cause.”
“When Together For Cinema started, it was a part time project for me,” recalls Ian Morrish, founder of Together For Cinema. “It’s taken on a life of its own and, with the collective good will of the industry, has achieved more than I could ever have dreamed of. It’s hard to put into words what a difference has already been made, and it’s wonderful to know that with this extra financial boost, we can do even more.”