Bibendum Ball raises £50k for charity

Bibendum’s inaugural charity ball has raised £50,000 in support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Held last week in Northumberland Avenue, guests were entertained by The Correspondents and Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills.

Bibendum’s Willie Lebus conducted the charity auction prior to the dancing with the top lot, a two-night stay at Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, going for £5,500.

Other lots included dinner for eight cooked at home by Chez Bruce’s Bruce Poole and “guest sommelier” Jancis Robinson MW; a bottle of 1900 Samalens Bas Armagnac and a selection of Champagne Jeroboams donated by six different grandes marques.

Bibendum managing director, Michael Saunders, said: “I am very proud of the creativity, energy and commitment the Bibendum team has invested to raise funds for the MS Society – and the fact we are the charity’s largest current corporate donor.

“The ball was a fantastic occasion that raised even more money than we had dared hoped for. It was terrific to see so many Bibendum customers, suppliers and partners in the same room for such a good cause, and I would like to thank everyone who generously donated prizes or who came along and contributed to the evening’s success.”

The MS Society has been Bibendum’s chosen charity since 2008 and the distributors has so far raised £125,000 for the charity, which has included employees running marathons and skydiving 10,000 feet.

Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the MS Society, added: “The ball was tremendous fun and the figure raised will make a real difference to the vital work we do to help improve the lives of people living with multiple sclerosis. On behalf of everyone at the MS Society, I would like to thank Michael Saunders and all the Bibendum team for their hard work and generosity.”