Former England rugby coach Dick Best to speak at University fundraiser
Former England and British Lions rugby coach Dick Best is among speakers at a fundraising night in aid of charity WheelPower at Buckinghamshire New University’s Students’ Union Venue.
The former England coach will be joined by London Wasps and Scotland international Hugo Southwell, as well as a Harlequins player, at the event at the University in Queen Alexandra Road, High Wycombe, between 7.30pm and 10.30pm on Monday 30 January.
It has been organised by students studying BA (Hons) Sports Management and Rugby Studies as part of the Commercial Sports Club Management element of their course and the students said they hoped to ‘raise as much as possible’.
WheelPower is the national charity for wheelchair sport based at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the national centre for disability sport and the birthplace of the Paralympic games. Stoke Mandeville Institute of Sport and Education is also an education and training partner of Bucks New University, Bucks and Milton Keynes County Sports Partnership, and Leisure Connection.
Student Gareth Jackson said the event presented a ‘fantastic opportunity’ to hear first-hand from leading rugby figures.
He said: “Anyone with an interest in rugby will be interested in this event. Dick Best has been one of the leading figures in English and world rugby for many years so we are very fortunate that he has agreed to come and speak in aid of such a worthy cause as WheelPower.”
Former London Wasps captain Alan Black, a lecturer in Sports Management with Rugby Studies at Bucks New University, will be compering the event.
He said: “We are keen that we attract not only rugby students and other students but also the wider public. We want to have a good healthy audience so would like people from the rugby community in High Wycombe and further afield, as well as general members of the public, to come along.”
Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive of WheelPower, said the fundraiser was a ‘fantastic gesture’ by the students.He added: “The money raised from this event will go a long way towards helping a lot of disabled children and adults and make a difference to transforming their lives. We are fantastically grateful to students for organising it.”
Tickets are £15 in advance or £20 on the door. The night also includes a raffle. For tickets email aneveningwith@hotmail.co.uk
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