Today we are excited to announce that next Saturday, 13th June at 3pm, marks the launch of the first ever MCH.London virtual boat race! Two teams representing Oxford and Cambridge will compete from the comfort of their homes – featuring Olympic, Paralympic and club rowers, soon to be announced!
This highly anticipated event is the outcome of 5 organisations coming together, after Mark Howarth was introduced to the inspiring John Willis – Founder of Power2Inspire, the charity that drives inclusion through sport. Commenting on the first meetings that ignited this idea and quickly made it the dynamic collective project it is today, John said:
“Power2Inspire was delighted when mch.london not only came on board as marketing and advertising advisers, but then took on the role of project managers, and then trumped that by offering to sponsor the event. Mark Howarth’s enthusiasm for the project was contagious: he quickly brought on board Give as you Live and Small Films, and topped it off with introducing GingerMay, the multi-award winning strategic marketing and PR consultancy.”
“Mch.london’s sponsorship has been so much more than the gift of a fantastic donation – much that their contribution is cherished – it is the time, energy and skill they have brought to the project, that has made the difference. As Mark says for them this project has been a whirlwind: it will be less than 4 weeks from initial contact to delivery. That this, on the face of it, discounts the previous 4 years of gestation, emphasises the need for a truly professional team to turn a great idea into a delivered reality. Without this team, the virtual boat race would still be a dream. Collaboration is key.”
Collaborating to do what’s never been done
Mark C Howarth, Founder & Managing Director, MCH London said: “When we heard about the plan to arrange an inclusive virtual boat race we had to get involved and provide our support to the event. Not only will it let everyone watching at home enjoy a new format of sport, it will hopefully help break down barriers, and above all, support the number one Power2Inspire rule – to have fun!”
Reflecting on the speed of the project and how it’s come together, John added, “Give as you live have grasped the opportunity and are bringing a competitive rivalry to the fundraising challenge. They have been flexible and great team players. Small Films used their expertise of social media and (surprise) short films to revise the way the event would work. Their package is exciting, fast-moving and uses the rowers’ back stories with the superb commentators to bring the competition to life. GingerMay has not been fazed at being brought in to run the PR only days before launch! Their professionalism – covering points not even considered – has been exemplary.”
“All four organisations have demonstrated a willingness to play in the team, to work for the greater good. It has been a revelation and a joy, not to mention a complete relief, to have such a team coordinating the delivery of the mch.london virtual boat race. This can only be good for inclusion and Power2Inspire’s work, where we aim for “No one to be left on the bench!”
Annabelle Ridson, Head of Partnerships at the fundraising platform, Give as you Live added, “This has been a fantastic opportunity for us at Give as you Live Ltd and we’ve been delighted to work in partnership with all involved at MCH London, Power2Inspire, Small Films and Ginger May – such a buzz of positive minds coming together to help make a real difference – what a pleasure! Through our ‘Give as you Live Donate‘ fundraising platform we will enable the virtual boat race to be showcased across all channels far and wide to help deliver direct donations to ‘Power2Inspire’ – an excellent result for all!”
Victoria Usher, Founder and CEO of GingerMay commented: “We are so thrilled to be part of such an inspiring group of people, companies and organisations, all coming together to raise money and awareness for this important cause. As soon as we heard about this amazing event we knew we wanted to help spread the word to generate as much excitement and engagement as possible. We’re really looking forward to watching the race on 13th June, to see these talented oarspeople in action and enjoy an inclusive virtual sporting occasion.”
George Hughes, Creative Director at Small Films concluded: “driving awareness for inclusion in sport is a great initiative and we’re honoured to be contributing. As content creators it’s a great opportunity to use our knowledge and skills to give something back to a good cause. Not only that but as a Cambridge native, I would never turn down the opportunity to make a film featuring a virtual boat race!”
The mch.london virtual boat race aired on Saturday 13th June, 3pm. See the sporting event on demand at: https://www.power2inspire.org.uk/ - donations are still open!