Team Army, the British Army’s key partner in sports sponsorship, raised £40,000 following a charity boxing event held on Park Lane. The Battle of Park Lane took place in the main ballroom of The Hilton, London on Thursday 10th November to coincide with the Poppy Appeal.
Attended by 500 VIPs and guests from the MoD, sport, and defence industry, guests were treated to six high quality bouts of amateur boxing from the best of the Army Boxing Association and the London Amateur Boxing Association.
Compered by former England and British Lions rugby player, Martin Bayfield, the event highlighted the sterling work performed by The Royal British Legion whose 2011 Poppy Appeal supports our troops overseas and their families back home. The event also illustrated the important role sport plays in the rehabilitation of the wounded. This was poignantly reinforced by Captain Martin Hewitt, who described how central the RBL Battle Back Centre was to his own rehabilitation, through adaptive skiing – a sport in which he now excels. Hewitt was also involved in the recent Walking with Wounded challenge to the North Pole, demonstrating what an inspirational individual and role model he is for all our injured servicemen.
The Team Army CEO, Major General Lamont Kirkland, said: “This magnificent event, held in a prestigious venue in the heart of London, was both the formal launch of Team Army, the British Army’s new partner in sports sponsorship, and an opportunity to showcase some real boxing talent! More importantly, the event raised a considerable sum of money for our own charity, the Team Army Sports Foundation, and the Royal British Legion. I am immensely grateful for the generosity of those who attended, and look forward to hosting more similar fundraising events in the future.”