On Wednesday 27 November, over 260 guests attended our 20^th Anniversary Gala Dinner.

It was a memorable evening and a fantastic way to commemorate Access Sport’s life-changing impact over the last two decades.

Olympic legends Mark Foster and Kate Richardson-Walsh hosted this terrific event at the historic Guildhall in London, bringing together Access Sport’s supporters, old and new.

The dinner kicked off with thunderous applause as Mark and Kate introduced our special sporting guest for the evening:

• Alice Dearing
• Dave Clarke OBE
• Dimitri Coutya
• Greg Searle MBE
• Helen Richardson-Walsh MBE
• James Cracknell OBE
• Joanna Rowsell MBE
• Lola Anderson
• Pamela Cookey
• Tess Howard
• Tom Bosworth MBE

We then welcomed our Chief Executive, Helen Rowbotham, to the stage who highlighted that without everyone in the room’s support, we wouldn’t be able to reach anywhere near as many disabled and disadvantaged young people.

Despite this success, Helen called on our guests to redouble their support for our mission. Stressing that with their help, we can make inclusion the norm in community sport.

The celebration then featured a panel discussion with Olympic and Paralympic athletes Lola Anderson, Dimitri Coutya, Tess Howard and Alice Dearing, who shared their journeys from community clubs to elite sports and the pivotal role community-based sports organisations, like Access Sport, play in cultivating an inclusive culture across grassroots sport.

In a particularly moving moment, guests heard directly from Dave Sparks, a beneficiary of our Changing Sports Cycling programme, who shared his journey and the profound impact we’ve had on his cycling club, COG. His story brought to life the transformational power of our work.

Later in the evening, guests participated in a terrific silent auction, a power hour bidding competition and a brilliant live auction which raised essential funds to support our ongoing work. The night culminated in a pledge moment led by TV auctioneer, Thomas Forrester!

Thank you to everyone who donated on the night. Every penny will go directly toward supporting, equipping and training under-resourced community sports clubs nationwide.

And thank you to all our supporters, partners and sporting icons who made this night unforgettable. Special thanks to the City of London Corporation and Workday for making this event possible.

We look forward to another 20 years of transforming lives through sport!

Don’t worry if you missed the event! As part of our 20th-anniversary celebrations, we are looking for 20 organisations to support us during this milestone year and champion the power of inclusion.

Our 20 for 20 campaign connects partner organisations with crucial projects across Access Sport, positively impacting 20,000 young lives in 2024.

Click on the link and stand for inclusion with us.

Stand for inclusion>