WELL-DESERVED HONOUR
Caul eld is the recipient of an award at the Nordoff Robbins charity event
EBAS, and boxing people generally, are always willing to support a good cause, whether it’s someone in need or a worthy charity. Every November there’s a boxing tournament in aid of Nordoff Robbins, the UK’S leading independent music therapy charity. To quote from their website, “We celebrate the connection and joy music can bring to those with life-limiting illnesses, physical disabilities or emotional challenges… We work across the country offering vital support through our dedicated open access centres.”
The London Ex-boxers’ Association take an active part in organising this evening. This month marked the 10th anniversary of their involvement in the project, so I asked Secretary/treasurer Ray Caulfield for some background.
“20 years ago Nordoff Robbins had an annual boxing night as a fundraiser,” Ray said. “The person organising the event retired, so it was discontinued. 10 years ago LEBA member Robbie Wilson met with Nordoff Robbins Chairman Neil Warnock. They reminisced about the good times they had at the boxing dinners and said it would nice if they could start it up again to raise funds for the charity. Robbie explained his connection with LEBA as a member and ‘volunteered’ me to organise the event! A committee was formed by Neil Warnock that included Robbie Wilson, myself and the late Geoff Born. Over the next four years an English team boxed Scotland, Ireland and Germany twice.
“After that Frank Warren – who had attended several shows – offered to make the boxing night a professional show, and his company picked up all the cost of the boxers and all associated costs, leaving all the ticket sales revenue to go to Nordoff Robbins. Normally at a boxing dinner you may have one or two champions – but thanks to the LEBA connection Nordoff Robbins have 20 to 25, with eight to 10 being world champions, who all sit at guests’ tables. This raises more money for the charity. The champions are all introduced by Anton Du Beke from Strictly Come Dancing. He loves boxing and makes his introductions with good humour and respect, and is very entertaining. It took him 40 minutes to introduce all the boxers!
“Over the past nine years a Boxing Icon Award has been presented to someone in boxing to recognise their contribution to our sport. Winners to date have been Frank Warren, Colin Hart, Dick Mctaggart MBE, the late Dean Powell, Steve Collins, John Conteh, David Haye
and Ricky Hatton – and this year it was awarded to Naseem Hamed. In 2008 the first dinner had 120 guests at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, and now we have 500 in attendance at the Hilton in Park Lane. In those 10 years we have raised £400,000 for the charity to date, most of that money coming from the auction so successfully conducted every year by the Iconic John Conteh MBE and Bob Williams. LEBA’S support is really appreciated, and in recognition of all we do Frank Warren gives us £6,000, which helps fund our Annual Awards Lunch.
“Nordoff Robbins is a great charity and Frank Warren and LEBA are pleased to support them – especially for the way they use music, via therapists, to transform the lives of so many, especially children.”
As this year was the 10th anniversary of the Boxing Dinner, Ray Caulfield was called up to the ring to receive a special Icon Award for his contribution over the 10 years on the committee, and especially for taking the responsibility of arranging for all the champions and other boxers to be present every time.
Dick Mctaggart made the trip down from Scotland – and Dick is the subject of an interesting article in the Scottish EBA’S November newsletter. As well as all the titles he won (including Olympic gold and the Val Barker trophy in Rome in 1956), the piece records that in 1988, when Dick took a Scottish team to Russia, Russian television screened a documentary on his career. Few foreigners get that accolade!