Harry Redknapp brought laughter, stories and star quality to a
sold-out Best of British Brighton lunch at The Grand Hotel last Friday (29 May), as
the annual event raised over £65,000 in support of Guild Care.
The former football manager and King of the Jungle was the headline guest at the
event, entertaining a packed room of business leaders, supporters and sporting fans
during an on-stage conversation filled with humour, insight and stories from his
career both on and off the pitch.
The annual Best of British Brighton lunch, hosted by Best of British Events, once
again combined networking, entertainment and fundraising, bringing together the
South East business community in support of Guild Care’s vital work across
Worthing and West Sussex. The trusted social care charity provides a range of
essential services for older people, people living with dementia, and the carers and
loved ones alongside them.
A standout moment of the afternoon was the ‘Pay for a Day’ initiative, which raised
£50,000 alone. Guests bid £2,478 to fund a full day of Guild Care’s community
dementia services, directly supporting frontline care provision and making a tangible
difference to the people who rely on it.
Warren Fabes, CEO of Guild Care, said:
“On behalf of everyone at Guild Care, I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to Best of
British for inviting us to be part of this event and for the opportunity to showcase the
charitable services we provide.
“We’re incredibly grateful to all the guests who gave so generously to our services
for people living with dementia and their loved ones, on what is often a very difficult
journey.
“The donations will make a real difference to the charity, helping us reach more
people like Darrell and Katrina, who kindly shared their dementia story with the Best of British audience. Their words are a powerful reminder of why our services, and
events like this, matter.
“I’d also like to thank our Patron, bestselling author Peter James, for donating a very
special auction prize, and the entire Best of British team for such a memorable and
meaningful afternoon.”
Fundraising continued throughout the afternoon with a lively football-themed ‘heads
and tails’ game, where red and yellow cards replaced coins, adding a fun and
interactive twist that had guests fully engaged.
Guests were also treated to an exclusive auction prize generously donated by crime
author Peter James, offering a unique experience for the winning bidder, including
the opportunity to feature in his next novel and spend a day on the set of hit TV
drama Grace.
More than 500 guests attended the sold-out lunch at The Grand Brighton, with
businesses from across the region coming together to support the cause.
Ryan Heal, Managing Director of Best of British Events, said:
“It was an incredible afternoon from start to finish. Harry was fantastic and really
entertained the room, but what stood out most was the generosity of everyone in
attendance.
“To raise over £50,000 through the Pay for a Day initiative alone is something we’re
extremely proud of, and when you combine that with the wider fundraising on the
day, it’s clear just how much of an impact this event will have for Guild Care.
“We’re incredibly grateful to all our guests, sponsors and supporters who continue to
make these events so special. It’s a real privilege to bring people together in this way
and support such important work in our community.”
The event was made possible thanks to the support of its partners. Webtrends
Optimize served as headline sponsor, with co-sponsors DevAssist, Extech Cloud,
Foster & Co Estate Agents, Bennett Oakley Solicitors and Carpenter Box. Media
support was provided by Platinum Business Magazine.
Following the success of this year’s sporting lunch, Best of British returns to The
Grand, Brighton, on Thursday 12 November for its annual Gala Dinner. Guests will
enjoy an evening of entertainment, fundraising and celebration, featuring special
guest Anton Du Beke, alongside a sparkling drinks reception, four-course dinner
and live entertainment, all in support of Together Co., Brighton and Hove’s leading
social health and loneliness charity
For more information, visit: bestofbritish.org.uk
