White Hat Ball Raises £195k for NSPCC Childline
An incredible £195,000 was raised for Childline at the annual White Hat Ball which took place at London’s Lancaster Hotel on Friday 31 January.
The Ball, which is now a major event in the information risk and security industry, has been running for 15 years and during that time raised more than £2million for the NSPCC’s Childline service.
As more young people are turning to Childline for help about issues they are encountering online the support given to the charity by the infosecurity industry is becoming increasingly important. Last year Childline delivered over 4,000 counselling sessions about bullying online and online safety.
The White Hat Ball was hosted by pop sensation Peter Andre and attended by 650 guests in the industry, as well as Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen DBE.
The evening, sponsored by KPMG, Qualys, Orign Comms and Barclay Simpson started with a champagne reception followed by a three-course dinner and music by live band, The Phat Cats, who have previously performed with the likes of Rita Ora, Adele and Nicole Scherzinger.
Chairman of this year’s White Hat Ball committee, Mark Logsdon said: “Each year the White Hat Ball raises a fantastic amount of money for Childline, a cause we are incredibly passionate about. Thanks to all of those involved in making it happen, our sponsors and those who attended, donated and gave so generously.”
“I’m extremely proud to be part of an industry which has made such a difference to so many children and young people over the past 15 years.”
Join Us for the 15th Annual White Hat Ball
The White Hat Ball Committee are delighted to invite you to attend the fifteenth annual White Hat Ball on 31st January 2020 at the Lancaster London hotel near Hyde Park.
This sparkling highlight of the Cyber Security and Information Risk industry calendar is the place to catch up and have a great night out with industry colleagues, while giving back to a really important cause.
We will kick the evening off with a champagne reception followed by a sumptuous three course dinner and you will have the opportunity to win amazing prizes in the White Hat raffle and to bid on incredible lots in both the grand and silent auctions. Live music and dancing will continue into the early hours, so come along and let your hair down!
For more information and to book your table, please contact Lilly O’Brien on 020 3841 1655 or lilly.o’brien@nspcc.org.uk
We welcome all forms of support to help us make the Ball a big success. Please do get in touch if you can help us with prizes or if you want to promote your brand at the event through advertising or sponsorship.
Visit the White Hat website for more information. Follow us on Twitter for event updates and request to join the LinkedIn group to be part of the community.
See you at the Ball!
Best wishes,
The White Hat Committee
Bid to win and support our London Marathon runners’ fundraising
This year, White Hat are delighted to have two amazing runners – Liza and Matthew – taking on the incredible feat that is the London Marathon, all in aid of Childline NSPCC. With just over 1 week to go, their long training runs are winding down but their fundraising efforts remain in full force!
Matthew works for KPMG, the long-standing Headline Partner of the White Hat Ball and National Charity Partner with the NSPCC. White Hat supporter, Saz, who also works for KPMG has teamed up with Matthew to help raise funds and together they have already raised a phenomenal £3,844.90. They need White Hat’s support with a final fundraising push! They are holding a silent auction with some fantastic prizes to suit all – including a speedboat experience down the Thames, a luxurious overnight hotel stay, a chocolate truffle making workshop, an escape room experience and many more. Whether you’re seeking thrills or a little relaxation we’ve got the prizes for you. To see all fabulous prizes on offer, please take a look at their auction book, pick your prizes and bid now for the chance to win.
Enter now by emailing the item number you’re bidding for and your bid to NSPCCKPMGCyberauction@gmail.com. All proceeds from winning bids are donated to the NSPCC with every £ donated helping to raise much needed funds. The winner with the highest bid will be announced on 26th April 2019.
Matthew and Saz would love to add to the brilliant funds raised for Childline and the NSPCC through White Hat. Here’s how funds raised could help:
- £3 could pay for their Speak out Stay safe programme to reach 1 primary school child, giving them the knowledge to protect themselves from abuse
- £4 could pay for 1 of their trained volunteer counsellors to answer a child’s call for help to Childline
- £5 could cover the cost of answering a call to the NSPCC helpline
- £25 could pay for a trained practitioner to deliver 1 hour of Pregnancy in Mind to help new parents with the ups and downs of having a baby
- £570 could cover the cost for their Speak out Stay safe programme to visit 1 primary school and speak to every child aged 5-11
- £1,600 could pay to recruit, train and support a new Childline volunteer.
Thank you for your kind support and please join us in wishing the very best of luck to Liza and Matthew on 28th April!
You can find Liza’s fundraising page here and Matthew’s and Saz’s fundraising page here.
White Hat Ball Raises Almost £200k for Childline
An incredible £193,000 was raised for Childline at the annual White Hat Ball which took place at London’s Lancaster Hotel on Friday 25 January.
The Ball, which is now a major event in the information risk and security industry, has been running for 14 years and during that time raised more than £1.7million for the NSPCC’s Childline service.
As more young people are turning to Childline for help about issues they are encountering online the support given to the charity by the infosecurity industry is becoming increasingly important. Last year Childline delivered over 3,000 counselling sessions about bullying online and online safety.
The White Hat Ball was hosted by television presenter and writer Nick Knowles and attended by 650 guests in the industry, as well as Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen DBE.
The evening, sponsored by KPMG, started with a champagne reception followed by a three-course dinner and music by live band, The Phat Cats, who have previously performed with the likes of Rita Ora, Adele and Nicole Scherzinger.
Chairman of this year’s White Hat Ball committee, Mark Logsdon said: “Each year the White Hat Ball raises a fantastic amount of money for Childline, a cause we are incredibly passionate about. Thanks to all of those involved in making it happen, our sponsors and those who attended, donated and gave so generously.”
“I’m extremely proud to be part of an industry which has made such a difference to so many children and young people over the past 14 years.”
The Ball also included various fundraising activities including a silent auction, raffle, a live auction conducted by committee member Clive Room and a powerful pledge led by author Matt Carey.
Childline president, Dame Esther Rantzen DBE said: “At Childline we’ve become more aware of the dangers of the online world and it’s wonderful to have the support of an industry which is determined to help keep the internet safe.
“The money the information security and risk industry have raised will help us be there for more young people, some of whom are in desperate need of our help.”
A huge thank you to the event sponsors; KPMG, Barclay Simpson Recruitment, Qualys and (ISC) ² without whom this event would not be possible.
1 Week to Go Until #WHB19 – Things You Need to Know
As we are now in the countdown to this year’s White Hat Ball, we thought it might be a good idea to run through some of the arrangements for people who are coming for the first time.
The champagne drinks reception will start from 6.30pm in the Westbourne Suite, where you will have an opportunity to mix and mingle with the other guests, buy raffle tickets for the draw later on in the evening and buy this year’s lapel pin. It’s also a chance to examine some of the lots on display for the silent and live auctions.
The dress code is black tie, so don your best dinner jacket, ball gown or snappy cocktail dress and don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes!
The hotel does take cards but It’s always a good idea to have cash on you as well. Especially for things like raffle tickets. The hotel has undergone a major 5 star refurbishment, so the ball will be grander than ever.
We look forward to seeing you on the 25th January 2019
Nick Knowles Announced as #WHB19 Host
We’re delighted to announce that TV Star Nick Knowles has been confirmed to host January’s White Hat Ball, a glittering evening where the cyber and risk communities come together to raise money for NSPCC Childline.
Most recently seen on your screens during a successful stint on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Nick is probably best known as the presenter of BBC1’s most watched and longest running prime time factual series DIY SOS – The Big Build.
We’re really pleased to have Nick joining us to help raise much needed funds for NSPCC Childline to ensure no child ever goes unheard in their time of need.
Fancy Owning the Wedding Dress Worn by Kym Marsh on Coronation Street?
As we are now just over a week away from this year’s White Hat Ball we wanted to share with you a select few of our fantastic silent auction prizes which are now live to bid on – charitystars.com/collection/white-hat-ball
These are just a taster of what you can expect. There are lots more incredible auction prizes that will only be available to bid on at the Ball including the Ultimate Take That Package, an Interior Design Experience, Britain’s Got Talent Semi Final tickets, a 7 Night Stay in Tuscany and much more!
We still have a few tables available at the ball if you would like to join us, contact: Charlotte Bignell on 020 3772 9059 or charlotte.bignell@nspcc.org.uk
Strike a Pose at #WHB19
The 14th annual White Hat Ball is nearly upon us, held at the beautiful Royal Lancaster London. This year we will be entertaining guests once again with a GIF photo station from Showtime Photo Booth (a Showtime Events company). Grab some friends and use the props to make silly and funny animations, which you can then share across social media. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #WHB19 to help create a unique memento of the night!
The entertainment doesn’t end there as after dinner we will be cheering The Phat Cats back up on stage for a second year running. Performing a wide range of songs, this lively band will get everyone up on their feet and dancing into the small hours, ensuring this years White Hat Ball is the best one yet!
25 and 4 – Two Reasons to Book a Table for the White Hat Ball 2019
It’s 15 weeks to go to the next White Hat Ball, which will be on Friday 25th January at the Lancaster London Hotel, Lancaster Gate, London. It promises to be a great night. The White Hat Ball organising committee and our friends at NPSCC ChildLine have been working tirelessly to make sure it is. But it’s about now that I start to worry.
I don’t know about you, but whenever I’ve hosted any sort of party there comes a time when I start to worry about whether anyone will actually turn up. It’s not until people do that I’m able to finally relax. Of course the White Hat Ball is much grander and more complex, serving only to increase my anxiety. We have tables and sponsorship packages to sell, prizes to secure, etc, etc. Recently I was asked as the current Chair of the Committee to assist in choosing dishes from the hotel menu ahead of sampling and finally deciding what our 650 plus guests will eventually eat on the night. It’s a responsibility, and a worry, that I’d never quite thought of before, despite being on the Committee for some 10 years or so. It has also put a bizarre image in my mind that I’ll be part of a some sort of Master Chef scene, tasting and appraising the creations of a team of top hotel chefs. Yes me, from a family of miners one of whom took a packed lunch, (actually called dinner, the word ‘lunch’ doesn’t exist where I come from) down the pit for his entire working life (close to 40 years) that only ever comprised of a cheese and pickle sandwich and a flask of tea! Absolutely true.
Anyway, it’s now that we need your help. I ask that you take a moment to consider supporting the White Hat Ball and to reduce my anxiety! There are lots of ways you can do this. Obviously you can buy a ticket, better still a table. There are a number of sponsorship packages available that will promote your brand to an audience of senior, decision making risk and security professionals, and we are always seeking prizes that we can auction on the night.
As always, we will kick the evening off with a champagne reception followed by a sumptuous three course dinner and along the way they’ll be fun and games, and a smattering of celebrity ‘star dust’. Live music and dancing will continue into the early hours, so come along, let your hair down and have some good honest fun! And remember, every single penny we raise goes directly to NSPCC ChildLine.
For more information and to book your tickets, please contact Charlotte Bignell on 020 3772 9059 or charlotte.bignell@nspcc.org.uk Visit the White Hat website for more information. Follow us on Twitter for event updates and request to join the LinkedIn group to be part of the community. And you can always reach out to me directly either via linked in or via my work email address – mark.logsdon@prudential.co.uk
But why does it matter, why am I and my fellow committee members so passionate about the White Hat Ball and raising money for NSPCC ChildLine? Well, this is where the numbers 25 and 4 come in.
On average, every 25 seconds a desperate child calls ChildLine seeking help. Every 25 seconds! Think about it. I would say that by the time you’ve read this blog 3, possibly 4 children have rung ChildLine. Put another way that’s close to 3500 calls a day. It’s a sobering thought. To answer each of those calls it costs approximately £4. It’s not much is it? It’s less than the cost of a cheese and pickle sandwich and a cup of tea, less than a G&T at the end of a long day. It’s why every penny we raise is so important and why I find my anxiety growing.
So please, come and join us at the White Hat Ball. I promise you’ll enjoy it and go home safe in the knowledge that your enjoyment has ensured no child goes unheard, every call gets answered and vulnerable children get support in their moment of need.
Mark