The Boodles Boxing Ball
A hot ticket amongst well-connected Londoners, the Boodles Boxing Ball has become one of the most highly anticipated events on the London social scene, and has grown to encompass much more than just boxing. Organised by committee members James Amos, Charlie Gilkes, Jez Lawson, Bear Maclean and Alice Beaumont, The Boodles Boxing Ball has raised £2 million over the past six events for
a variety of different charities.
Welcoming a whole host of celebrity and society guests, spectators gather to cheer on some of London society’s most famous faces as they take part in high-energy boxing bouts, after having trained for many months to get to the peak of their physical fitness.
“In 2002, we put on a charity event to give a few friends the chance to box against each other. It started out as a bit of fun, but ended up a huge success – discounting my broken nose,” says James Amos, Director of Boodles. “It put the wheels in motion for the Boodles Boxing Ball, the first of which took place in 2006. We were honoured that Prince William and Kate Middleton could join us and, as a result, the event made front-page news.”
The Boodles Boxing Ball has become one of the highlights of the events calendar, but it has a very personal feeling about the way it is run. It is not a typical corporate function — and we have always seen it as an event put on by friends, for friends. James says: “The feedback is always incredible, and the generosity of guests amazes me too.” Glamour, grit and a generous dose of giving are the ingredients that make the amateur event so unique.
After a four year hiatus the high profile society event The Boodles Boxing Ball returned for the 7th time, in association with Argentex and YouTube; welcoming guests in black tie with a ‘hint of pink’ at Old Billingsgate, in the City of London. Organised by James Amos, Alice Beaumont, Bear Maclean, Jez Lawson, Charlie Gilkes and Hugh Van Cutsem; the event welcomed a host of high profile and celebrity guests including Amber Le Bon, Myleene Klass, David Blaine, Emilia Wickstead, Nell Hudson, Nathalie Pinkham, Tom Parker Bowles, Will Greenwood, Dereck Chisora, Matthew Freud, Ronan Keating and Jacobi Calthorpe amongst others, all of whom offered their support to the benefiting charity, Hope and Homes For Children. An astounding £750,000 was raised on the night surpassing the events’ previous phenomenal records.
Guests enjoyed a champagne and Mr. Foggs cocktail reception followed by dinner, during which a menu created by Michelin starred chef Tom Kerridge was enjoyed. The meal included ‘Potted Lock Duart Salmon with Apple Jelly, Pickled Cucumber and Seeded Crackers’, followed by ‘Braised Lamb Shank with Pea and Lamb Ragu, Spiced Mayonnaise and Charred Gem Lettuce’ and ‘Brown Butter Tart with Buttermilk Ice Cream’.
After dinner Tom Odell, a long term supporter of the charity, took to the stage for a moving performance before Jonny Gould auctioned off a host of money can’t buy auction prizes to raise money for the charity, including a private performance with world renowned magician David Blaine, shooting at Gatcombe Park with Mike Tindall and a limited edition David Yarrow piece.
Very excitingly, the committee has announced that the Boodles Boxing Ball will be returning once more on 10th June 2022 at Old Billingsgate, located in the heart of the City of London and on the banks of the River Thames. The target is to raise £1,000,000 on the night for Hope and Homes for Children.
"We said 2015 would be the last Boodles Boxing Ball but here we are, four years later, putting on another big night. In all honesty, we missed the fun of doing the event, but importantly also my support for the charity has grown immeasurably over the last four years and I wanted to put on the event for them. In fact I wanted to put the event on to raise money for the children I have met in orphanages in Romania and Rwanda who are trapped in an awful and hopeless existence."
James Amos, Director
The Boodles Boxing Ball will return on Friday 10th June 2022 at Old Billingsgate in support of the charity; Hope and Homes for Children.
