Ladbrokes CEO Richard Glynn and top executives from the gaming industry were joined by British icon Barbara Windsor and respected Italian cookery writer and poker fan Antonio Carluccio at the launch of Raising the Stakes, a new fundraising initiative that is galvanising the gaming industry to raise ￡500,000 towards a new high dependency bay in Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Critical Cardiac Unit.

Held at Les Ambassadeurs Club in London, the event saw founding supporters of the initiative including Pageant Media’s Charlie Kerr, Game Account’s Dermot Smurfit and PKR’s Jez San OBE mingle with guests; while Raising the Stakes Patrons Hardeep Singh Kohli and Sly Bailey compered gaming activities throughout the night. 

The event included a champagne reception, a three course dinner, followed by an exclusive auction to raise funds for the charity. Auction lots included a private cooking lesson with Antonio Carluccio which went for ￡14,000.

Warren Lush from PartyGaming was crowned winner when guests went head to head in an exciting knock-out poker tournament at the end of the night.

After last night’s launch event Raising the Stakes has so far raised an amazing ￡400,000 which is well on it way to achieving its preliminary target of ￡500,000. 

Ladbrokes CEO and Chair of Raising the Stakes Richard Glynn, said, “This is an amazing initiative. I am personally very proud to support Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. Raising the Stakes is a gaming industry first; it typifies the attitude and approach of this industry.”

Charles Denton, Chairman of Fundraising at Great Ormond Street Children’s Charity said, “I am thrilled that the gaming industry has come out in force to support Great Ormond Street Hospital. The new four-bed bay they are helping to fund will provide more space for nurses to carry out the 24 hour intensive care needed by young patients using the hospital’s Cardiac Critical Care Unit.”

If you would like more information on Raising the Stakes please telephone 020 7239 3074, email: [email protected] or visit: www.gosh.org/raisingthestakes

Committee:
Richard Glynn, Ladbrokes CEO
Charles Denton, Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity Chairman
Richard Flint, Skybet Managing Director of Betting and Gaming
Richard Hadida, Evolution Gaming Managing Director
James Hogan, College Hill Partner
Nam Quach, UBS, Co-Head of Leisure
Jez San, OBE, PKR President and Founder
John Shepherd, PartyGaming Director of Corporate Communications
Dermot Smurfit, GameAccount Network Chief Operating Officer

Partners and Associates of Raising the Stakes:
Microgaming
PartyGaming
Ladbrokes
Orbis
PKR
Deutsche   Bank
Pageant
Evolution Gaming
GameAccount Network 
Gamesys
 
If you would like more information on Raising the Stakes please telephone 020 7239 3074, email: [email protected] or visit: www.gosh.org/raisingthestakes