Dinner raises vital funds to support life saving operations

Cavalry & Guards Club, London – May 20 2026

Serve On hosted a highly successful fundraising dinner at the prestigious Cavalry & Guards Club in London on 20 May 2026, bringing together more than 100 supporters, sponsors, veterans, business leaders and friends of the charity for an inspiring evening dedicated to supporting volunteer emergency response operations in the UK and overseas.

The evening raised vital unrestricted funds that will directly support Serve On’s volunteer training and day-to-day operational needs.

Serve On was honoured to receive a generous £2,500 contribution from the Cavalry & Guards Club towards the event, reflecting the Club’s ongoing commitment to supporting charitable and veteran-led initiatives.

Guests were welcomed with a drinks reception kindly sponsored by Schillings Lawyers, Neil Donaldson and Danbury Wines, setting the tone for an evening filled with purpose, generosity and inspiring stories of resilience and service.

The event featured an extensive charity auction and raffle, with prizes donated by supporters and sponsors featured within the evening brochure, including luxury experiences, signed sporting memorabilia, travel packages and exclusive hospitality opportunities.

The evening was hosted by Serve On Chair Paul Rose, who spoke passionately about the charity’s mission and the importance of “rehabilitation through purpose”, bringing together veterans, military families and civilians to serve side-by-side in emergency response and humanitarian operations.

Addressing guests, Paul explained the three key operational pillars of Serve On:

• International Search & Rescue deployments

• UK resilience and emergency support

• DEFRA-accredited flood rescue operations

He highlighted how Serve On not only delivers life-saving capability but also provides belonging, confidence, leadership, resilience and renewed purpose to volunteers from all walks of life.

Speaking after the event, Paul said: “Tonight demonstrated the extraordinary generosity and support that exists for Serve On and the work our volunteers carry out both here in the UK and overseas. Every pound raised helps us continue responding to disasters, supporting communities and giving people purpose through service. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, donated prizes, sponsored the evening and supported our mission.”

One of the evening’s most powerful moments came from Jazz Williams, a Serve On volunteer currently training for the International Response Team.

Jazz shared her remarkable personal journey, describing how she first joined Serve On at the age of 14 through the charity’s Rescue Rookies programme while completing volunteer work for her Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Speaking candidly to guests, Jazz explained how Serve On transformed her confidence and helped shape the person she is today, developing leadership, resilience and life skills that ultimately inspired her to train for international disaster response work.

Jazz also introduced Serve On’s newly launched “Sponsor a Trainee” campaign, designed to support the next generation of volunteer international search and rescue responders. She explained that while all trainees volunteer their time, each individual must personally fund approximately £6,000 over two years for specialist equipment, travel and training costs.

Her message to guests was simple but powerful: donations are not just funding equipment, they are helping to build future rescue teams capable of saving lives in the aftermath of earthquakes, floods and major disasters around the world.

Guests also heard from Vern Young, Head of Serve On’s International Response Team, whose inspirational story captured the spirit of determination and opportunity that defines the charity. Vern spoke openly about leaving school at 15 with limited education, before teaching himself literacy while working on construction sites and seeking volunteer opportunities with Serve On.

Today, he project manages the delivery of fully operational hospital operating theatres and leads Serve On’s International Response Team, overseeing the training and deployment of specialist rescue volunteers.

The keynote address was delivered by Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, internationally recognised chemical weapons expert and author of Chemical Warrior. Hamish spoke about the increasingly dangerous global landscape, modern conflict and humanitarian challenges facing the world today. He also thanked Serve On for its continued support to veterans and emergency response operations both in the UK and internationally.

Serve On is a UK volunteer-led search and rescue charity made up of veterans, military families and civilians working together to provide emergency response capability in the UK and internationally.

For more information, to donate, or to support the Sponsor a Trainee campaign, visit Serve On’s official channels.