A Night to Remember – WVS Annual Charity Ball 2025 What an incredible evening! On Saturday, 1st March, over 100 guests gathered at the elegant Hotel du Vin for our Annual Charity Ball, and what a night it was!
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The hotel truly did us proud, with fantastic food, impeccable service, and an atmosphere full of laughter and celebration.
We were honoured to welcome the Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare, Roly Owers, and Mauro Mattiuzzo from Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators, the two charities we were supporting this year. Their words reminded us of the real impact our fundraising has in supporting equine welfare and conservation.
From the moment guests arrived, the night was full of entertainment. The brilliant magician, Matt Wilson, had everyone gasping in amazement—not just with his mind-blowing tricks but also with his fantastic sense of humour. The prize draw and live auction were among the highlights of the evening, with generous donations making for some fierce bidding! While we’re still finalising the total, we are thrilled to announce that we have raised in excess of £13,000!
Then, of course, there was the dancing! Our fantastic band, Harry and the Wildfires, had the dance floor packed all night, while the ever-popular photo booth provided plenty of laughter and memorable snapshots. If there’s one thing we know about our members, it’s that they certainly know how to have a good time—we suspect there may have been a few sore heads the next morning!
A huge thank you to everyone who attended, to our incredible sponsors—Emma and John Cofie, The Sybarite, Sara and Richard Brown, Clementine Com, The Family Treatment Centre, and Dickie Arbiter—and to all those who so generously donated prizes for our prize draw. A special thank you to Masahiro and Makiko Honsawa for their amazing £500 Harrods voucher donation. And finally, we must mention our wonderful photographer, Phoebe Clarke, who captured the magic of the evening beautifully.
This event truly showed the warmth, generosity, and spirit of our riding community. Thank you for making it such a success—we can’t wait to do it all again next year!
Carol and Caroline
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Clementine Com
GOLD SPONSORS
Sara and Richard Brown
Dickie Arbiter
SILENT AUCTION
Be a personal guest of Pippa Funnell MBE. Included: A lesson on your own horse with Pippa Funnell at her yard near Dorking in Surrey. A tour of the stables and a chance to meet and greet Majas Hope (2019 Europeans Team silver), MGH Grafton Street (won Burghley in 2019) and other resident equine stars. Donated by Pippa Funnell and World Horse Welfare
A guided tractor tour of the Commons for up to 8 people. With the Commons CEO and Conservation Officer as your guides, explore hidden parts of the Commons, learn about their wildlife, habitats, heritage and history and the work that the charity does to care for our beloved green space. Your tour will be followed by a light lunch or tea. Donated by WPCC
Be a Mounted Keeper for the day! Enjoy a ride out with the Keepers for up to two riders on your own horses. Discover a new bridle path or two by joining our keepers on one of their patrols around the Commons, with a behind the scenes visit to the WPCC stables where refreshments will be provided. Donated by WPCC
A guided morning bird walk on the Commons for up to four people. WPCC’s volunteer bird expert Les Evans Hill will lead a private walk to spot some of our birdlife. The circa 2-hour walk will cover all of the Commons terrains (around 2-3 miles) and will be followed by brunch. Donated by WPCC
Exclusive Silent Auction Prize – £1,000 Bespoke Art Commission
Renowned artist Joash Tham explores the intersection of creativity and commercialism, blending contradiction, ambiguity, and humor in his thought-provoking work. He has generously donated a bespoke art commission —your chance to collaborate on a one-of-a-kind piece for your home.(1 metre sq) Discover his work at joashtham.com and place your bid for this unique opportunity!
Donated by Joash Tham
An exclusive dinner for six in the magical setting of the Stable Yard, hosted by the WVS team. Donated by WVS
1 x double-magnum – Chateau Cantemerle 2016, Haut-Medoc, Cru Classe, Bordeaux (Value £300) donated by Tom and Annie Hudson
The Ultimate Riding Experience – Bid for an exclusive VIP equestrian training package designed to take your riding to the next level! 30-minute Equicise Simulator Session. 90-minute Private Lesson with Caroline Stevenson, filmed for review. 30-minute Video Analysis & Debrief. 30-minute Equicise Refinement Session. Refreshments and exclusive WVS Gift Bag. An incredible 3-hour immersive training package designed to boost confidence, refine technique, and accelerate progress!
RAFFLE PRIZES
£500 Harrods gift voucher, generously donated by Masahiro and Makiko Honsawa.
Two night weekend stay with breakfast at the Dog & Fox, Wimbledon
Complimentary one night stay with breakfast at the Rose and Crown, Wimbledon
A mixed case of Tuscan fine wine, courtesy of Paul Bowers
A £200 Voucher for Townfields Saddlery
A gift hamper from Frosbury Farm
Brunch for 4 at Hemingways, Wimbledon Village
£50 Voucher for Thai Tho, Wimbledon Village
Meal for 4 and bottle of house wine at the Fox and Grapes, Wimbledon
£100 Voucher for The Ivy Wimbledon, kindly donated by Hilary Bodin
Home fragance gift set, kindly donated by Rachel Hilton
Complimentary 2 course dinner with an allowance of £35 per person paired with a bottle of Hotel du Vin wine for 2 people. Donated by Hotel du Vin
Three Equine Massage sessions with Equus Therapies. Donated by Emma Denny
60 minute physiotherapy/acupuncture treatment session with Amanda (worth £160) Donated by Amanda Hall Physio
60 minute massage of your choice with Matt Fennemore from Active Release Therapy (worth £85) Donated by Amanda Hall Physio
60 minute massage of your choice with Sarah Claxton Massage (worth £76) Donated by Amanda Hall Physio
3 month subscription to Emily Altneu Pilates video library (worth £40) Donated by Amanda Hall Physio
Enjoy being a member of World Horse Welfare for a year sponsoring a rehab rescue centre of your choice with the “Stableyard” and/or joining the “Stable Squad” (for kids), or both to have fun as a family. Kindly donated by Dede Wilson
2x Initial Chiropractic consultations and 2 follow up visits with Michael Lezuo, GB Chiropractic in Putney (value £205 each)
Initial consultation and 2 follow up visits for your dog or cat with Michael Lezuo (value £200), ChiroVibe clinic in Putney
Breakfast or lunch for 2 at Maison St Cassien (Monday to Friday)
Luxury Hamper Bayley & Sage
Full day pass to FIT 8 Partnership