For more than 100 years, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Children’s Fund has supported children whose parents work, or have worked, in the Naval Service. Initially supporting the children of ex-servicemen, the charity has grown considerably over the years, with 80% of its current beneficiaries’ parents still in service. In the last year alone, the RNRMC has supported over 1,500 children with 40,000 servicemen currently in the Naval Service. On Saturday 11th July, to celebrate its amazing work, the charity held a fund-raising day at Leadenhall Market in central London and approached White Light to provide the production support.
Lead by Clare Scherer, assistant director at the RNRMC, the day featured a dinner provided by Chamberlain's of London with guests entertained by the RMA Jazz Trio followed by a performance from All That Malarkey cabaret group. Clare comments: “We wanted to host an event which would not only raise funds for the charity but would also be highly entertaining within a unique setting.” Leadenhall Market provided the unique setting, with this being the first time it has staged a charity concert of this nature. Clare adds: “Leadenhall is one of the oldest markets in London so it was fantastic to be able to host an event in the historic location of London’s financial district – especially as we were the first ones to do so.”
The RNRMC approached White Light to provide the lighting, sound and rigging for the event. Due to the nature of the acts that were performing, there was a particular focus on sound. Clare comments: “I had heard about White Light’s recent expansion into audio so they were the natural choice for this event. That said, the mere size of Leadenhall Market, along with the fact that it is open ended with cobbled flooring, certainly proved a challenge, yet this was something that White Light were able to overcome.” The event saw White Light use the very latest in audio equipment, ensuring the best possible experience for those in attendance. White Light’s project manager Marcus Wadland states: “Working within the market, along with the client’s specifications, we were able to draw on the most suitable equipment to get the most out of the acoustics. Due to our vast experience of working in unique spaces, we can easily adapt to any setting, which is exactly what we did here.”
The event marked the first time that the RNRMC has worked with White Light. Clare states: “We couldn’t be happier with how the day went. The acts sounded superb, it ran on schedule and White Light were extremely accommodating with all of our needs. Simply put, we couldn’t have asked for more.” Prior to joining the RNRMC, Clare worked as a lighting designer in theatre and already knew some of the White Light team. She adds: “I know both Bryan Raven (managing director) and Stuart Crane (head of events) from my previous career in theatre. That’s another thing that attracted me to White Light: not only did they get the job done to as high a standard as possible but they did so with a friendly, encouraging vibe which is exactly what we needed for an event such as this.”
The Royal Navy and Royal Marines' children’s fund-raising day was a huge success and follows a series of events which have seen White Light work alongside various charities. Marcus comments: “It’s fantastic to not only work on events that really get the most out of our services but ones which are also for truly worthy causes. This year we have already worked with Macmillan Cancer Support and The Make a Difference Trust and it’s great to be part of such varied yet extremely important occasions.” Therefore, as White Light’s reputation as the complete production solution specialist continues to grow, so does its relationship with numerous charities across the UK.