Over 120 guests gathered at the Marriott Hotel, Portsmouth, on Saturday 23rd November for URBOND's Fifth Annual Charity Ball, an evening dedicated to raising funds and awareness for children and young people in need.

Dressed in their best suits and gowns, attendees enjoyed a night of entertainment featuring the wonderful singer Gloria Miller, live music from DJ Ross, a delicious three-course meal, along with a raffle and auction with amazing prizes that were up for grabs. The event highlighted URBOND’s commitment to providing support and opportunities to children and young people who might otherwise go without.

The evening was made even more memorable by testimonials from those directly impacted by URBOND’s work. Alfie, a young beneficiary, shared his inspiring journey over the past two years, crediting URBOND with building his confidence, improving his mental health, and enhancing his employability skills. Today, Alfie is thriving in a supervisor role and attributes much of his success to the guidance and support he received through the charity.

Guests also heard from Rob, a dedicated URBOND volunteer, who spoke about his recent 12-day trip to the Republic of Guinea. Rob’s efforts in delivering basketball coaching and raising awareness about the importance of education left a lasting impact on the children and community of Dubreka.

To shine a light to those who have gone above and beyond in supporting the charity over the past year, URBOND awarded three people to celebrate their efforts including: Volunteer of the Year (Patrycja Tatarzycki), Role Model of the Year (Konstantinos Peponis) and the URBOND award (Kingsley Digby). Congratulations to our award winners, you truly deserve it.

The evening’s success was made possible thanks to the generosity of attendees, volunteers, and sponsors, including SLR Marine Recruit, GRP Solutions Ltd, and the National Institute for Health Research.