Howden’s Cardiff and Swansea teams went head-to-head as colleagues from the global insurance group and Principal Partner of the British & Irish Lions competed to raise as much as possible for local charities. Each office hosted its own Lions-themed event, complete with a match watch party, as part of the company’s wider efforts to support good causes through sport and community engagement.
The events on July 2, held at Elevens in Cardiff and the Swansea.com Stadium in Swansea, welcomed over 200 guests in total to watch the British & Irish Lions take on the Queensland Reds in a victory made all the sweeter for the Swansea office by Ospreys star Jac Morgan taking centre stage and being named Man of the Match in Australia.
Guests at the event were joined by multiple Wales and Lions rugby heroes including Shane Williams, Glenn Webb, Craig Quinell, Rhodri Jones, Iestyn Hopkins and Dafydd James in Swansea, and Martyn Madden, Andrew Coombs, Steve Moore and Andy Powell in Cardiff.
With both offices fundraising for their nominated charities, the Cardiff event raised over £1,300 for Maggie’s Cancer Charity, and Swansea over £2,500 for local charity Joseph’s Smile.
Both teams held exclusive raffles, with multiple items signed by notable sporting legends including British & Irish Lions jerseys and rugby balls, and boxing gloves, kindly donated by Wales’ first women’s world boxing champion Lauren Price. Swansea’s event also held a hotly contested auction for a British & Irish Lions shirt signed by Gareth Edwards, which one generous bidder took home for £400.
Swansea’s charity of choice, Joseph’s Smile, provides grants to ill children to enable them to access lifesaving or life-changing medical treatment or equipment that’s currently not available to them on the NHS, as well as raising awareness, support and research for childhood cancer.
Cardiff’s charity Maggie’s is a national charity, with centres across the UK offering support and care for those with cancer and their loved ones. Their Cardiff and Swansea centres host a range of services including support groups and stress management workshops, fostering a safe space for those affected by cancer.
Gary Stevens, Regional Managing Director at Howden, said: “It was wonderful to see both our south Wales offices go above and beyond in our fundraising challenge. Maggie’s and Joseph’s Smile charities are close to the hearts of us all at Howden Wales. Their work is truly life changing so we jumped at the chance to raise as much money as possible through our raffles and auctions, and we are incredible grateful for the generosity of all those who attended.
“Not only were we able to raise such fantastic amounts for both charities, but it was a wonderful opportunity to bring our local communities together and enjoy the Lions’ victory against the Reds. It was an additional honour for us to be able to present Ospreys’ CEO Lance Bradley with their Lions Origin plaque, and especially to see the Ospreys’ own Jac Morgan doing such a fantastic job representing Wales out in Australia.”
