Carols by Candlelight – 5 December 2011
About
A truly magical evening was had by all at the Breast Cancer Care Carols by Candlelight on Monday 5 December. The evening was full of music, song and celebrity readings at St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge.
Guests were greeted at the steps of the church with seasonal chocolates and hot roasted chestnuts before moving inside for an enchanting candlelit carol service.
Photographs by angelanott.com
Cherie Booth welcomed the congregation before Christmas readings from Dan Stevens, Bill Paterson and Zoë Wanamaker. Alison Keenan also delivered a moving reflection on her experience of breast cancer. Guests sung carols and enjoyed performances from David Guest and the L’Inviti singers, Rebecca Thorn and The Westminster Under School Junior Choir, and The Westminster Under School Solo Clarinettist. Guests left with sparkling Swarovski gifts and mingled in the church courtyard with mulled wine and mince pies. It was a perfect start to the festive season.
Candlelight supper and auction
The celebrations continued into the evening at an intimate champagne supper held at the Lanesborough Hotel. The room was dressed perfectly for the occasion and the evening was filled with festive fundraising delights, including a humorous auction conducted by Charlie Ross.
Highlights included a one-week stay for two in Australia with return flights provided by Etihad Airways, dinner for 10 cooked in your own home, tickets to the England v West Indies Test Match in May 2012 and an exclusive print by renowned photographer Rankin to name a few.
The evening closed with a special solo performance by Lucy Knight accompanied by Kumi Matsuo which provided a perfect end to a magical evening. The whole event was a huge fundraising success bringing in an overwhelming total of £53,500 to help continue the work here at Breast Cancer Care. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this event possible.
Join us next year!
The Carols by Candlelight service and supper will be held again in December 2012 – if you would like to receive a reminder of the date and how to buy tickets, please email specialevents@breastcancercare.org.uk
Corporate and VIP packages
There are also great opportunities for your company or organisation to be involved, either as a sponsor, by attending as a Gold Donor or coming along with colleagues for a Christmas party. For further details, email specialevents@breastcancercare.org.uk
Support us
Support this very special event
Sponsorship
Title sponsorship of the carol service and candlelight supper is an exclusive opportunity to be the principle partner of the event. As the title sponsor, a partner would benefit from branding, PR and entertainment opportunities as well as the association with a well respected breast cancer charity and a highly successful event. Previous sponsors have included Swarovski and Arbuthnot Latham. We are able to produce unique packages to meet your requirements. If you are interested in any sponsorship opportunities, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss this with you further.
Auction lots
We are looking for auction lots with a value of over £1,000 to engage keen bidding from the affluent and influential audience. Previous supporters have included Chelsea FC, DKNY, Mosimanns, Patek Philippe, Marco Pierre White, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Fortnum and Mason and InterContinental Hotels and Resorts. In return for a donation your company will be promoted by the auctioneer on the night and listed in the menu and event programme.
Prizes
We need approximately 100 prizes in order to support our fundraising on the night. The prizes can be worth anything from £10 to £100 or more. In return for a prize donation, your company will be acknowledged in the carols programme which will be received by over 800 guests on the night.
For more information on supporting the event, please email specialevents@breastcancercare.org.uk or call 0845 092 0806.
Venue
St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge
St Paul’s Knightsbridge, an Anglican Church in Central London, was consecrated in 1843 and was the first parish church in London to follow the teachings of the Oxford Movement. It is currently one of London’s most beautiful Victorian churches and has served the people of Knightsbridge ever since.
The whole building is elaborate and highly decorated in rich Christian imagery and symbolism: with tiled panels around the walls of the nave, scenes from the life of Jesus Christ; the 14 Stations of the Cross that intersperse tiled panels and scenes from the Crucifixion story. Around the church there are also numerous famous paintings of figures that have played a huge role in the history of St. Paul’s.
How to get there
St Paul’s Church
32a Wilton Place
Knightsbridge
London
SW1X 8SH
Underground
The nearest tube stations are: Hyde Park Corner exit 4 (5 minutes) and Knightsbridge (8 minutes).
National Rail
The nearest station is Victoria.
Gallery
Photographs by angelanott.com
