Fundraising Round-Up

It’s been a great year for The Harlequins Foundation on the fundraising front, with so many amazing events and initiatives taking place to raise money for the life-changing work The Harlequins deliver in the Harlequins Heartlands. As an independent charity, the team must raise funds each year to continue the?vital work.

First and foremost, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated, entered an event, brought a raffle ticket, signed up to our newsletter, followed us on social media and all the other ways to support – we couldn’t do this without you!?The team raises funds in a variety of ways, and there were certainly some standout moments for us last season – here is a little taster!

RIVAL RIDE

Rival Ride is one of our flagship?events, and certainly one of the most popular! - Last season saw the event take place for the third time, and the team of riders raised over ￡20,000 for The Harlequins Foundation.?

The group of riders had to tackle 128 miles over 2 days - beginning at The Twickenham Stoop and culminating at the home of Leicester Tigers, The Mattioli Woods Welfare Road Stadium, with tickets to the Harlequins vs. Leicester Tigers Premiership clash awaiting following the ride!

One of the things that makes this ride so special for supporters is the opportunity to ride with Harlequins legends – both previous and current players. This year saw Olly Kohn, Mark Lambert, Sam Twomey, Mel Dean, Charlie Mulchrone, Jim Evans, and Luke Wallace take on the challenge.??

If you are interested in coming along for the ride (pun intended!) next year, just complete the short register your interest form and a member of the team will be in touch when the details are finalised.

THE?LONDON PRIDE MIXED TOUCH RUGBY?TOURNAMENT??

This amazing event took place in June and was delivered in partnership with The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and sponsored by London Pride. In previous years the event has taken place in the city at The Honourable Artillery Company, but this year, for the first-time participants got to play on the famous pitch at The Stoop – a pretty special experience!??

There were a number of teams in attendance on the day, including LSEG, ICM,?Two Circles,?CBRE,?Stewarts,?Taylor Wessing,?HQLAx,?Killick & Co,?Lockton,?Legal and General Investment Management,?as well as a team from the staff who work at The Stoop.?

In the end, after a number of compelling fixtures, the final two were set; Two Circles and CBRE. The match went to sudden death, with CBRE sneaking the victory and therefore being crowned champions with a wonderful solo try in the corner.??

It didn’t end there though, with participants heading over to the North Fan Village for a fantastic BBQ and drinks alongside incredible live music to conclude the event.??

Andrew Warner, Fundraising Manager for The Harlequins Foundation?said;?“The Tournament was epic. It was so great to see the teams battling it out on the Pitch. The weather was glorious, and the food and drinks were flowing post event – it was great to see everyone enjoying themselves. A huge thanks obviously goes to London Pride for supporting the event, but also to all of the companies who entered teams. The money raised from this event will make a huge difference to the life-changing work The Foundation is doing in the community”????

THE HARLEQUINS FOUNDATION MATCH DAY 50/50 RAFFLE

This was a new initiative that was launched about halfway through the 22/23 season and has become a really important part of raising vital funds for The Foundation. Selling 50/50 Raffle tickets takes place before Kick-Off on Matchdays at The Stoop, with the winner collecting 50% of the overall prize fund, and the other 50% going towards the life?changing work The Foundation are doing in the community.??

Whilst this has taken place at The Stoop, it’s also been incredible to take the 50/50 Raffle over the road to Twickenham Stadium for both Big Game and Big Summer Kick-Off!?

THE BIG GAME SPARKLE SHIRT??

A one of a kind?Harlequins sparkle shirt worn by Sister Bliss from Faithless at Big Game during her DJ set went to a silent auction, with the proceeds raised being split between The Youth Music Charity and The Harlequins Foundation. The auction culminated at the?2022/2023 end of season dinner. Incredibly, the shirt went for ￡2,500 to the highest bidder. A huge thanks to Sister Bliss for her generosity, with valuable proceeds going towards both charities.??

?Thank you again to every single person who supports The Harlequins Foundation, we cannot wait to work with you again this season!??

To be the first to hear about events and ways to get involved in the Foundation’s community, just sign up to our newsletter.?

#COYQ??