Building on 24 previously successful London Legal Dinners, the five star Raffles at the OWO hosted the newly focussed Co-operation Ireland Dinner in the heart of Whitehall, London on Thursday November 3 and what a night it was!

Among the 370 guests, financial institutions and associated businesses joined with the cream of the Legal profession from Great Britain and Ireland in support of the relationship building programmes delivered for young people across the island of Ireland by Co-operation Ireland.

The evening commenced with guests congregating at a lively and buzzy Champagne Reception in the Lawrence Foyer of the historic Old War Office before descending to the new Whitehall Ballroom where the five star treatment awaited our guests with superb four course menu, fine wines and great service.

Our sincerest thanks to host Colin Barkley, guest speaker Panti Bliss and London based band Truly Medley Deeply who kept all guests entertained right through until the early hours. Incredible auction lots and a huge range of fabulous raffle prizes ensured that the event added significantly to the charity’s coffers to support Co-operation Ireland’s flagship Future Leaders Programme which aims to create a thousand Future Leaders over the next five years and empower the next generation of young leaders and peace builders, equipping them with the skills, confidence and networks to become advocates for positive change in their own communities and develop positive relationships on and between Ireland and the United  Kingdom.

Co-operation Ireland’s Chief Executive Ian Jeffers shared the charity’s remit and recent highlights with guests through his remarks and accompanying video footage and thanked table partners Invest NI, William Fry and Pennington Manches Cooper for their support.

He also praised committee members, James Stewart, Mary Heaney, Grainne Fahy and Jer O’Mahony for their superb efforts in pulling together an event of this stature in trying economic times. Co-chair James Stewart commented next day “It was a superb evening – a great keynote by Panti Bliss, an inspiring introduction by the charity’s CEO Ian Jeffers, wonderful food and dancing until 2am“ – a very fitting description of a truly brilliant evening all in aid of a great cause.