Air Show Hospitality Raises £6000 for the JTYAF!

Our biggest  event of the year is our VIP Hospitality Day at the Bournemouth Air Festival and this year’s event was a huge success raising more than £3000 for the JTYAF.  Our wonderful team of Community Volunteers from Barclays, who organised our raffle and Silent Auction, brought with them £4£ matched funding which took the total to more than £6000!  Di, Nina and Liz from Barclays are great friends of the JTYAF and have been helping us with the event for 11 years now, their matched funding making an incredible difference to a great many local young people.

Barclays Community Volunteers with Pete Thornton. From L to R Liz, Nina and Di

We had a fabulous day with glorious sunshine in an amazing new style marquee, with delicious food and an outstanding flying display.  Proceeding got underway with the hugely talented Land Girls and the hospitality package, welcome drinks, 2 course lunch and afternoon cream tea, was organised by Tracey and her team from Slick Events.  Our guests thoroughly enjoyed the day and were full of praise for Tracey and her team.

The Land Girls

 It was quite an eventful day as two of our guests were veterans from the Second World War and they were delighted to meet each other unexpectedly in the marquee. 

We were also lucky enough to have a visit from the pilots of the Black Cats Team and also, Lorraine Finney,  the artist of the beautiful ‘Sweeping the Skies.’  This wonderful print of the Red Arrows was signed by several pilots, past and present, including Dan Simmons.  Poignantly John Thornton had been awarded a flight in a Red Arrow for achieving Top Student on the Air Cadet Junior Leaders course.  Dan was the Red Arrow pilot who took John up as one of a Red  Pair, at Scampton in 2003. 

 Our thanks must go to all our guests who supported this event so generously, however, without the kind contributions from a great many individuals and businesses this fundraising would not be possible.

Maggie Keet presenting Pete Thornton with a unique auction prize. A key ring made from the canopy of a Sea Vixen.

A very special thank you to Maggie and Brian Keet who have supported us for many years with numerous Navy Wings gifts and VIP Visits to RNAS Yeovilton.Thanks must also go to OC 34 Squadron, the RAF Red Arrows, Maurice Patterson MBE, Hildon Water, Paul Tuttiett, Martin Welch, Mike & June Thompson, Kondor, Edmundson Electrical Wholesaler, Haskins Garden Centre, Abbotsbury Swannery, the Blue Pool, Hall & Woodhouse, Osprey Publishing, Alpine Adventure Park, Knoll Gardens, Compton Acres, Moors Valley Country Park, Lulworth Castle, Falmer Palmers, Smugglers Adventure Golf and our special friends at Go Ape, Moors Valley

Thanks to Andy Martin from the Bournemouth Echo for this fabulous article too.