Annual gala dinner for the John Haynes Foundation will take place at the Hilton Hotel in Liverpool in September with places still available. Tony McDonough reports
Everton FC has signed up as the headline sponsor for the second annual gala dinner and fundraiser for the John Haynes Foundation.
Taking place at the Hilton Hotel in Liverpool on Saturday, September 17, the event will raise money to continue the work of John Haynes. He died in December 2020 but left a legacy that will be long remembered.
John was founder of the Liverpool Coaching Academy. He supported and inspired a generation of entrepreneurs both here and overseas to, in his own words, “fly with the eagles”.
After leaving school at 16, John worked at a furniture factory in Kirkby. After being made redundant he began working as a salesman for Royal Insurance in Liverpool. He worked his way up to regional director before leaving to set up his academy in 1998.
John took his expertise overseas, operating as far afield as Australia and the Middle East. He also raised thousands of pounds for a town in Kenya which has been left devastated by a terrorist bomb.
In 2020 John was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. And, in December 2020, his partner Linda Adkins announced his passing on his Facebook page, saying that “John had left us peacefully in his sleep”.
In 2021, a number of city region business people decided to set up the John Haynes Foundation with the aim of continuing his work and “transforming 1m lives”. The first gala fundraising dinner was held in September 2021.
One of those behind the foundation is Andrew Dwerryhouse, founder of Bootle brand marketing specialist Wild Thang. He said: “John was an amazing guy who was an inspiration to me and members of the Wild Thang team.
“We will be one of the businesses supporting the gala dinner this year and we are proud to do so. It is important we honour John’s legacy by continuing his work.”
Paul Askew, Chef Patron at The Arts School in Liverpool, in collaboration with the Hilton Liverpool Head Chef, has prepared a special menu for the event. Starting at 6.30pm it will also offer an evening of “stunning entertainment”.
It will be a black tie gala event and tickets are priced at £150 per person, or £1,500 for a table of 10. A limited number of platinum tables are available priced at £2,500 for 10 guests.
They come with a range of promotional opportunities on the night. A number of sponsorship opportunities are also available. Click here to book a table or to purchase individual bookings for up to four guests.