Rugby legend helps charity raise £30,000 in Blackpool

England rugby legend Jason Leonard, current president of the Rugby Football Union, was guest of honour and main speaker at a charity gala which raised £30,000.
Jason Leonard was the guest of honour at the Wooden Spoon charity event in BlackpoolJason Leonard was the guest of honour at the Wooden Spoon charity event in Blackpool
Jason Leonard was the guest of honour at the Wooden Spoon charity event in Blackpool

More than 400 guests and 40 businesses were present at the Village Hotel in Blackpool for the Wooden Spoon charity’s annual luncheon.

Founded in 1983, Wooden Spoon funds around 70 projects in the UK every year to support disadvantaged and disabled children.

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The event was sponsored by Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management, which has offices at Whitehills and which has partnered with the charity for four years.

Dudley Warnes, head of business development at Canaccord’s Blackpool office, said: "“Once again the event was a tremendous

success and raised a lot of money for fantastic causes, all of which will be spent locally.

“We are really proud of supporting the effort to transform the lives of children and young people in Lancashire and the moving words from a young member of the Boathouse Youth project at the lunch were testimony to that.”

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Martin Long, chairman, of Wooden Spoon West Lancashire said: “We are really pleased at the success of this year’s annual lunch and I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved. It was a very enjoyable and entertaining event, which was made possible by the generosity of our supporters and of course Canaccord.”

UK tenor Martin Todd, Lord of the Dance fiddle player Richard Sanderson, comedian Josh Daniels and the Master of Ceremonies Joey Blower had the guests entertained at the event.