Friday 26th February saw The Ireland Fund of Great Britain’s first ever London Rugby Lunch, a gala fund raising event timed to coincide with the Ireland v. England match at Twickenham the following day.
In the magnificent, evocative setting of the Gladstone Library in One Whitehall Place, 200 guests joined to us to enjoy a wonderful rugby themed afternoon. Rugby Lions legend Willie John McBride MBE held the audience in the palm of his hand, entertaining guests with stories from his Irish and Lions rugby career but closing on a more sombre note as he reminded us of the present day loneliness and neglect experienced by many Irish migrants living in the UK.
Ivan Fallon, Chair of Independent News and Media UK and trustee of the IFGB, thanked guests for supporting the Fund’s ‘Forgotten Irish Campaign’. He explained the IFGB had already distributed approaching £1 million and would soon distribute a further £260,000 to projects helping the Irish in Britain with health, housing, social or psychological needs.
The IFGB would like to thank Aviva, the IRFU and Sony Ericsson WTA for their generosity in donating prizes for the auction.
