This year’s Autumn Lunch held at Cardiff Arms Park helped raise over £33,000 in aid of Wooden Spoon Charity… helped by some ‘Group Action’ Beton Bauen Beanie wearing!
Event compare / auctioneer Sean Holley joins the 460 guests help in fundraising for Wooden Spoon Charity, by wearing a Beton Bauen beanie. Photograph by Paul Fears Photography
Friday 24th November, Cardiff Arms Park
The Concrete Society Wales Region and Wooden Spoon Charity Autumn lunch this year took place at Cardiff Arms Park, where society members, former rugby greats, and industry supporters attended what turned out to be a fantastic event, sponsored by Beton Bauen. Hosted by Sean Holley, 460 guests enjoyed a delicious three course meal, an extremely entertaining auction (see below), plus a Q&A segment involving former rugby internationals Andrew Mehrtens and Michael Lynagh AM.
Beton Bauen Managing Director, Steve Davies was unable to attend the event due to illness, but by the wonders of modern technology (mobile phone & WhatsApp) had a ‘live satellite link’ to the proceedings. As well as being the main event sponsor, Beton Bauen gave away loads of promotional merchandise, including a sought after beanie for every attendee.
Substituting for Steve (on behalf of Beton Bauen) fell to Marketing Manager Dan Brennan and he got ‘the ball rolling’ by donating £1 for every attendee who wore their Beton Bauen beanie, as part of the Beton Bauen Wall of Fame promotion*. This figure was ‘rounded up’ to £500, to make a great start to the fundraising, which accumulated to a whopping total of £33,500 for Wooden Spoon Charity. Every penny of this money goes to fund much needed projects, helping disadvantaged children in Wales.
Steve comments “I was absolutely gutted that I couldn’t make the event but the sight of 460 people looking like a crowd of Smurfs with Beton Bauen beanies on their heads made my day.”
Friends of Beton Bauen, Toni Walters [right centre] (Sunbelt Rentals UK&IRE) and Katie Hathaway [left centre] (Past Head of Social Value Region 1 at Bouygues UK - Chair of Concrete Society South West Region - Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction 2022/2023) couldn't wait to show off their Beton Bauen beanies. Photograph by Paul Fears Photography
Steve’s video interaction didn’t end there. In a “first” for experienced compare and auctioneer Sean Holley, he skillfully saw to it that husband and wife (Steve & Belinda Davies) bid against each other for the largest auction lot, which included four tickets to Taylor Swift… only Steve was unaware he was bidding against his own wife! An act of pure comedy gold helped to raise £4,500 from a single lot.
Congratulations to the organisers and everyone involved, for what turned out to be a great afternoon of entertainment and celebration with a special mention to The Concrete Society (Wales Region) organising committee for their hard work and continued efforts.
*NB: Steve Davies has emphasised that the £1 for each beanie worn by attendees was his idea, and that Dan Brennan merely helped implement the idea!