Impact Reception at Mansion House Welcomes Over 220 Guests

The evening reception highlighted the successes achieved over the last 12 months, the difference it has made to our partner companies and their employees, and the five charities the Appeal has supported including current charity partners The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and National Numeracy. The evening gave The Lord Mayor's Appeal the chance to bid a fond farewell to outgoing charities Place2Be, OnSide and Samaritans after a fruitful few years of fundraising and events; and to announce its brand-new charity partner, MQ Mental Health Research who join us from 2023-2026. 

Kicking off the evening’s festivities, a Young Cadets band from The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award welcomed guests on Walbrook with a rousing performance, drawing a crowd of intrigued passers-by. National Numeracy representatives hosted a myth buster quiz and Place2Be created a wellbeing tree and arranged for charming young students from Chalkhill Primary School to guide guests into The Salon for the drinks reception. After a welcome speech from Alderman Vincent Keaveny, highlighting some of the work that the Appeal had undertaken in the past 12 months, talented young performer Alia Crooks, from long term partner charity OnSide , took to the stage with a thrilling blend of rap and song.   

Next guests moved through to the Egyptian Hall for series of speeches and talks - from a moving recount of childhood bullying from Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participant and DoE Ambassador Louis Liu, who spoke on how being part of the scheme helped him through some harder times in his life, while also providing practical skills to overcome them; to personal stories on how taking active roles in their respective charities had changed the lives of Matt Morden, Co-Head Teacher, Surrey Square Primary School part of Place2Be; Myke Catterall, Deputy CEO for OnSide Legacy Youth Zone and Richard Bartlett, Samaritans Helpline volunteer.  

From four colour-lit stages across the great hall to represent The Lord Mayor's Appeal's four thought leadership initiatives, Power of Inclusion, This is Me, We Can Be and City Giving Day - a selection of speakers bought to life how these initiatives striving to Create 'A Better City For All' by sharing their deeply personal experiences.  

Claire Wilkinson, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Payden & Rygel Global Ltd started by recounting some particularly tough challenges she experienced as a woman trying to make it in The City and how that inspired her to help a new generation of young women via the We Can Be initiative to strive for careers in the City and create a safe space in which they can grow their skills, ambitions and confidence.  In a powerful video presentation This is Me representative Sam Guy, Business Support Manager at Sellafield showed how storytelling is the most effective tool we have in to change attitudes around mental health and create healthier working environments.  

Talking on why the Power of Inclusion is so important to help create a city where everyone feels that they belong, Carol Fergus, Director of Global Travel, Meetings and Ground Transportation at Fidelity International encouraged people to "be bold, be brave, be curious and care." while Mark Shaw, a beneficiary of National Numeracy's 'Every Londoner Counts' campaign, told us how he now coaches others to help them see "maths not as a barrier, but as a hurdle to overcome."  

A video showcasing the work of City Giving Day, the yearly event to unite businesses in the City and beyond by celebrating the positive impact they have for their charity partners and their local communities through fundraising and volunteering, gave guests plenty to talk about over champagne and canapes.  

The full Impact Report can be downloaded here