Tag Archives: The Light Fund English Channel Relay

Tuesday is go! The Light Fund English Channel Relay to take place tomorrow

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At 21:30 this Tuesday the two teams taking part in this year’s Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser will meet their boat pilots at Dover marina and at 23:00 the first swimmers will step into the water and start swimming for France. It will be very dark, very cold and very lonely. Some 15 to 24-plus hours later – tides, currents and any other eventuality permitting – the final swimmer in each team will hopefully reach the French coast somewhere between Calais and Boulogne.

Yes, The Light Fund English Channel Relay Swim Race is ‘Go’ this Tuesday evening – two days earlier than anticipated – and it’s all down to a small weather window in an otherwise unsettled period.

After more than 18 months of relentless training, commitment and preparation, the swimmers are as ready as they can be. Final team selections have now also been made. Team Optimist comprises Ian Down (captain), Eion Wallace, Katie Price, Jason Goonery, Mark Bezodis, Kevin Langstaff and reserve Tasmyn Knight. Team High Hopes comprises Stephen Gould (captain), Mark Kingston, Rhys Fleming, Anna Hewitt, Anne Bradford, Simon Gresswell and reserve Terry Lamb.

The Light Fund has set up a WhatsApp group with an additional link to the boat tracker set up by the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation (CS&PF), the governing body for English Channel swimming. This means you will not only be able to see and hear real-time action and film footage from the swim but also be able to encourage the swimmers with supportive messages.

Simply click on this link from your phone to automatically join free of charge. Your friends and colleagues involved in the swim be thrilled to know that you’re cheering them on. The GPS boat tracker can be found here: http://cspf.co.uk/tracking

And don’t forget – before, during and even after the swim there are still many opportunities to help The Light Fund reach its target of £250,000 for this fundraiser as well, of course, as chances for corporate sponsors to be namechecked in the challenge event film presentation at the 2022 Licensing Awards on 13 September at the Grosvenor on Park Lane.

You can find out more about corporate sponsorship options here. And individuals are very welcome to donate via the event’s Just Giving page, where you can also review the teams’ preparation for the big day. There are also an Instagram feed and a Facebook page containing team photos and updates.

Event challenge organiser Stephen Gould says: “Despite the demands of work and family, interruptions from stomach bugs and covid, everyday stuff like repetitive strain injury and even domestic accidents which means one swimmer with a burn-blistered hand, we have trained diligently for months and we’re as ready as we’re going to be. It won’t be easy reconciling the cold, dark, pollution, Channel traffic and seasickness with a cramped open-deck boat in this notorious stretch of water, but we’ll be buoyed up by the amazing support we have received and will no doubt continue to receive from our friends, colleagues and acquaintances. Thanks again and please remember that the best way to cheer us on in this arduous ordeal is to donate – no matter how seemingly small or insignificant the sum. As we battle through guaranteed stress and discomfort, there is no better motivation than an escalating fundraising figure on JustGiving!”

About the Light Fund

The Light (Licensing Industry Giving Help Together) Fund was born when a group of like-minded people from the UK licensing industry came up with the idea to form a committee to help those less fortunate than themselves. The Light Fund is a registered charity, which raises monies to fund worthwhile charity projects that help children, women and men. Since its inception, back in 2004, The Light Fund has raised over £1.7 million and funded hundreds of different charity projects.

https://www.lightfund.org

Hasbro presents: The Light Fund Channel Relay – the film

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The two teams taking on The Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser are now to star in a short film – which will be unveiled during the 2022 Licensing Awards, The Great Room at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on Tuesday 13 September 2022. The film will be sponsored by Hasbro.

The action-packed short film will include highlights of both the arduous training process and then the gruelling swim itself before rounding off with a triumphant landing for the teams in France and a thank-you to all the sponsors, including, of course, Hasbro. The global play and entertainment company, which delivers immersive brand experiences for global audiences through consumer products, including toys and games, entertainment and gaming, is the sponsor of the film, funding the entire production process from staffing to filming to editing, and adding a generous donation to the Channel Relay effort.

The film will be made by Albus Studios, a company founded in 2014 that specialises in film, photography and art, delivering exciting and effective content for B2B and B2C clients. The award-winning Albus team has worked with top brands across automotive, lifestyle and tourism, technology and current affairs, so is ideally suited to the requirements of a film that focuses on licensing – albeit a very unusual area of the licensing business.

It’s going to be quite a film too, in which two teams – a total of 14 people – endure prolonged physical exertion and try to avoid potential hazards, including hypothermia, seasickness, boats, sewage and oil, in sea temperatures of 16C or lower (without a wetsuit) while trying to race each other to the shores of France.

The big swim is scheduled to start between the 30th of June and the 3rd of July around 2am on a day when conditions for the swim are optimal.

Hasbro’s generous donation has taken the money raised and pledged even closer to the Light Fund target of £250,000 – which will be a record for any single Light Fund challenge. But there’s a lot more money to be raised and there are still many opportunities to sponsor a brave and slightly offbeat fundraising effort as well, of course, as being name-checked in the film at the 2022 Licensing Awards.

You can find out more about corporate sponsorship options here. And of course, individuals are very welcome to donate via the event’s Just Giving page, where you can also follow the teams preparing for the big day. There’s also an Instagram feed and a Facebook page containing team photos and updates.

Sally Carnota, Director Category Licensing at Hasbro, says: “This film will be a record of an inspirational and very brave fundraising effort. It will also be a big thank-you to all the participants and supporters involved in The Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser. We are enormously honoured to be sponsoring the official record of this memorable effort.”

Team captain Stephen Gould says: “The toughest Light Fund Challenge yet is nearly with us and, thanks to Hasbro and Albus Studios, our efforts will be professionally recorded for what we hope will be a triumphant record of a successful swim. Our thanks to all our sponsors and donors to date. Don’t forget: there are still many opportunities to support The Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser.”

About the Light Fund

The Light (Licensing Industry Giving Help Together) Fund was born when a group of like-minded people from the UK licensing industry came up with the idea to form a committee to help those less fortunate than themselves. The Light Fund is a registered charity, which raises monies to fund worthwhile charity projects that help children, women and men. Since its inception, back in 2004, The Light Fund has raised over £1.7 million and funded hundreds of different charity projects.

https://www.lightfund.org

 

Place your bids! The Light Fund Channel Relay silent auction is now live

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The Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser silent auction site is now live, with a fabulous selection of event tickets, money-can’t-buy experiences, rare souvenirs and much, much more up for grabs.

From 16 May all members of the licensing industry – brand owners, licensees, licensors and all who work with them – are invited to click on this link and place their bids to support the two six-person teams braving the unforgiving waters of the Channel in only a few weeks – and help them to hit their £250,000 fundraising target.

Of course, to get the impressive bids the Light Fund is aiming for requires a fabulous selection of items to bid on – and the industry has heard the call and responded with some fantastic prizes.

Ever wanted a Manchester United shirt signed by Marcus Rashford? Or a day out on the track in some cool cars from some famous movies? Or a course in brewing (and testing) your own beers? Or an Original Star Wars stormtrooper suit and helmet? Those are just a few of the prizes on offer – now – in the Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser silent auction.

You can also bid for golfing experiences, family fun days – including a trip to Peppa Pig World – Swiss watches and trips to the beach. You can even bid for swimming lessons at Taplow Lake from Light Fund English Channel Relay team member – and famed open water swimmer – Stephen Gould.

All you have to do is click, bid and cross your fingers. The auction closes on Friday 3 June. Winners will be notified shortly after auction ends.

And don’t forget, it’s for a seriously good cause! The big swim is scheduled to start between 30 June and 3 July at around 2am on a day when conditions are optimal and, as the date and the Light Fund target of £250,000 get closer, there are still many opportunities to sponsor this brave fundraising effort as well, of course, as being name-checked in a film at the 2022 Licensing Awards.

You can find out more about corporate sponsorship options here. Individuals are very welcome to donate via the event’s Just Giving page, where you can also follow the teams preparing for the big day. There’s also an Instagram feed and a Facebook page containing team photos and updates.

Team captain Stephen Gould says: “We’ve been genuinely thrilled, not just with the number of prizes the industry has contributed to the silent auction, but with the range and quality. Who wouldn’t want a signed Premier League shirt, a high-class spa day or a visit to Morgan Cars, after all? Or, for that matter, a day’s open water swimming with me?! Our thanks to everyone involved. Now… please place your bids!”

Call for prizes as Light Fund Channel swimmers announce silent auction

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With less than two months to go before two teams of six people brave the unforgiving waters of the Channel and race to France, the organisers of The Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser have announced plans for a silent auction to get the donations even closer to the £250,000 target – and readers of Licensing Biz can help.

On 16 May the auction site will go live and the link will be sent out on multiple platforms, then all you have to do is place your bids. Everyone in the licensing industry – brand owners, licensees, licensors and all who work with them – is invited to take part.

But of course, to get the impressive response the Light Fund is aiming for requires a fabulous selection of items to choose from – and the industry is already coming forward with prizes big and small including framed posters, limited edition books, tickets to major events, signed football shirts and much, much more.

Anyone who can help is urged to contact the organisers:

Tasmyn Knight / Tasmyn.Knight@hasbro.co.uk

Simon Gresswell / simon@sglp.co.uk

Anne Bradford / Anneb@Poeticbrands.com

Desirable items, event tickets, money-can’t buy experiences, rare souvenirs – anything worth bidding on is welcome. All prizes will be acknowledged on the auction website.

The big swim is scheduled to start between 30 June and 3 July at around 2am on a day when conditions are optimal and, as the date and the Light Fund target of £250,000 get closer, there are still many opportunities to sponsor this brave and slightly offbeat fundraising effort as well, of course, as being name-checked in a film at the 2022 Licensing Awards.

You can find out more about corporate sponsorship options here. And, of course, individuals are very welcome to donate via the event’s Just Giving page, where you can also follow the teams preparing for the big day. There’s also an Instagram feed and a Facebook page containing team photos and updates.

Team captain Stephen Gould says: “If there’s one industry that can supply desirable goods and services worth bidding for it’s the licensing industry. Let us know what you can offer and when. All of it is going to a fantastic cause and will be a great boost to the brave men and women swimming the Channel both by day and by night only a few short weeks from now. Our thanks to you all!”

The Light (Licensing Industry Giving Help Together) Fund was born when a group of like-minded people from the UK licensing industry came up with the idea to form a committee to help those less fortunate than themselves. The Light Fund is a registered charity, which raises monies to fund worthwhile charity projects that help children, women and men. Since its inception, back in 2004, The Light Fund has raised over £1.7 million and funded hundreds of different charity projects.

https://www.lightfund.org

The Light Fund Channel relay team face health-check hurdles

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As the day on which The Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser is due to take place draws closer, there’s still one major hurdle for the two teams: proving to the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation (CS&PF), the governing body for English Channel swimming, that they’re fit and healthy enough to take on a gruelling swim involving prolonged physical exertion and exposure to sea temperatures of 16C or lower – without a wetsuit.

That means an examining doctor must verify that each swimmer’s medical condition, health and fitness is at a level that would permit them to swim the English Channel, and also undertake the training involved.

Exhaustion and lack of energy are obvious threats to a successful Channel crossing if participants aren’t fit enough, but more serious hazards include hypothermia, swimming-induced pulmonary oedema (SIPE), sea sickness and vomiting-induced oesophageal ulceration.

In addition, few NHS doctors are willing to take on these medicals, not least due to a Covid-based backlog, and even if they do agree, there is often a charge of around £150.

On the upside, for some swimmers this has simply meant filling in a form, having a blood pressure check and offering a urine sample. But other participants didn’t have it quite so easy. Even the superfit team captain Stephen Gould has had problems over the years. He says: “Firstly, there’s white coat syndrome – raised blood pressure due to the stress of being in a clinic. Immersion in cold water also raises blood pressure. And doctors are wary of signing-off for a challenge like this due to potential litigation.”

However, none of the team members has had as much to get through as Kevin Langstaff, Senior Account Manager at GB eye Ltd. When he severely damaged his leg in a motorcycle accident nearly a decade ago he was told he may never walk again. Not only is he now walking but he passed his medical and is swimming the Channel in a few months. As he says: “I now have one leg largely made of metal, so my fellow team members are convinced I’m going to sink. Getting on and off the boat at sea could be interesting…”

Tests aside, the squad is still on course to do the big swim – scheduled to start between 30 June and 3 July at around 2am on a day when conditions for the swim are optimal. The money raised and pledged so far has taken the two intrepid teams almost two-thirds of the way to their target of £250,000 – which will be a record for any single Light Fund challenge.

But there’s a lot more money to be raised and only just over three months until the English Channel Relay takes place. And there are still many sponsorship opportunities out there.

You can find out more about corporate sponsorship options here. Individuals are very welcome to donate via the event’s Just Giving page, where you can also follow the teams as they prepare for the big day. There’s also an Instagram feed and a Facebook page containing team photos and updates.

Stephen Gould says: “It’s been a very tough few months for both teams and it’s about to get tougher, but at least we are close to naming two fully fit teams – and they’ll need to be – for possibly the toughest Light Fund Challenge yet. Our thanks to all our sponsors and donors to date – and a reminder that there are still many opportunities to support The Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser.”

 

The Light Fund announces Master Sponsors for English Channel Relay fundraiser

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This summer, on a day between the 30th of June and the 3rd of July when the weather conditions are right, two boats of six swimmers will be racing each other across the English Channel to France in aid of The Light Fund charity. All the participants will be from the licensing industry, trying to be first to make it from Dover to the French coast – a 21-mile journey that could end up closer to 40 miles if you include tidal shifts.

The Light Fund has attracted a large and growing number of sponsors and donations for its forthcoming English Channel Relay fundraiser, and it can now proudly announce the Master Sponsors – the two groups that have taken on the biggest sponsorships available for this year’s Light Fund challenge.

Playmates Toys and Wow! Stuff have both guaranteed five-figure sums to support the pivotal role of the two pilot boats transporting, supporting and protecting both six-member swim teams during the relay.

A Light Fund spokesperson says: “For over 55 years, Playmates Toys’ commitment to quality and excellence in the design, development and marketing of character-rich toys has inspired imaginative play for generations of children worldwide. Wow! Stuff is a name globally synonymous with toy innovation for licensed brands. The names of both Master Sponsors will now appear on the two vessels: Pilot Boat Optimist and Pilot Boat High Hopes.

“The Playmates Toys and Wow! Stuff sponsorships won’t just support the hire of the boats, they will pay for the pilot, crew, observers, Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation (CS&PF) registrations and access to the internal marina at Dover as well as pick-up collections, car parking and – of course – a licence for swimming across the busiest shipping channel in the world – with around 1,000 vessels per day in transit.

“Both sponsorships also include a more-than-generous donation towards this year’s Light Fund Challenge target of £250,000, which will be shared by principal beneficiary the RNLI and a number of other organisations and projects supported by the charity that is inspired, and run, by the licensing industry.”

Playmates Toys and Wow! Stuff are in distinguished company. Some 70 other businesses working in the licensing industry have supported the swimmers with sponsorships varying from hundreds to thousands of pounds – and covering everything from drinks bottles to deep sea water training, towels to film and drone technology.

The money raised and pledged so far has taken the two teams almost two-thirds of the way to their target of £250,000 – which will be a record for any single Light Fund challenge.

The generosity of all the companies backing the cross-Channel swim will be saluted both on and beyond the day of the swim itself. Every sponsor will be namechecked in a special thank-you video that will be among the highlights of this year’s Licensing Awards ceremony.

With only four months until the English Channel Relay takes place, there are still many sponsorship opportunities available. Interested parties can find out more about corporate sponsorship options here. Individuals are very welcome to donate via the event’s Just Giving page, where you can also follow the teams preparing for the big day. There’s also an Instagram feed and a Facebook page containing team photos and updates.

On the day itself a limited-access live feed is also planned in tandem with GPS trackers on each pilot boat: watch out for announcements on how to follow the challenge as it happens.

Michael Chan of Playmates Toys says: “We jumped at the opportunity to give our backing to this extraordinary challenge and play a role in bringing essential support to these two brave and committed teams. It’s a real honour to be a Master Sponsor for the licensing industry’s biggest charity challenge of the year.”

Richard North, CEO, Wow! Stuff, says: “When we heard that the licensing industry was supplying two teams to do a relay swim across the Channel we thought two things: ‘Are they mad?’ and ‘How can we help?’ The Light Fund helped the toy industry initiative ToyAid, which Joel Silverman and I set up during the height of the pandemic. This is Wow! Stuff’s thanks for that involvement and our commitment to be with the mad team of Light Fund swimmers every step – or stroke – of the way.”

As Stephen Gould, who will be captaining one of the two teams, says: “Without the dozens of sponsors and hundreds of smaller donations from so many people in the licensing industry this wouldn’t be happening. If you’ve backed us already, our sincere and grateful thanks. If you haven’t as yet, there are many more opportunities to support our teams and the many very worthwhile causes backed by the licensing industry’s very own charity.”

The Light (Licensing Industry Giving Help Together) Fund was born when a group of like-minded people from the UK licensing industry came up with the idea to form a committee to help those less fortunate than themselves. The Light Fund is a registered charity, which raises monies to fund worthwhile charity projects that help children, women and men. Since its inception, back in 2004, The Light Fund has raised over £1.7 million and funded hundreds of different charity projects.

https://www.lightfund.org