On 16 October, Hedge Funds Care, the industry alliance dedicated to fighting child abuse and neglect, hosted its third annual UK benefit at The Natural History Museum in London.

The event, themed ‘Venetian Masquerade’, was attended by over 400 hedge fund industry professionals and raised almost £300,000 to benefit charities that work in prevention and treatment of child abuse. The evening featured a champagne reception, where guests were greeted by Venetian stilt walkers, and a sit down dinner in the Central Hall of the museum where chandeliers and red velvet married perfectly with the giant Diplodocus occupying the centre of the hall, creating an intriguing and authentic atmosphere.

During the course of the evening, Sue Gwaspari and John Cliff, of Community Service Volunteers (one of the four charities supported by Hedge Funds Care UK), spoke about what kind of impact the funds raised that evening would have on their projects. They spoke passionately about the work which Community Service Volunteers conduct by assisting professional staff that support over 30,000 children in the child protection register in England.

The speech sparked great generosity among the hedge fund industry professionals during the auction which was conducted by Charles Ross, the renowned fine art auctioneer.

The auction featured many exclusive items and once-in-a lifetime experiences. These included a set of three etchings by Salvador Dali, part of his 200 piece series ‘Les Caprices de Goya’; two tickets to a Miramax movie premiere in New York or Los Angeles, including the after film VIP party; and a Rolling Stones electric guitar hand signed by Jagger, Richards, Wyman, Watts and Wood.

Commenting after the event, Rob Mirsky, Chairman of Hedge Funds Care UK, said: ‘I am very impressed by the number of established and new supporters that have joined us here tonight. Their participation and generosity, especially in the current environment, reinforces our commitment and belief that we can and should make a difference by supporting the professionals that help children at risk of abuse.”

The evening drew to a close at around 1.00am, but guests and tireless members of the organising committee partied on until the early hours of the morning, conscious that they had achieved, once again, great results that will make a difference to the lives of many children.

Hedge Funds Care was founded in 1998 and has since raised close to US$30 million to tackle child abuse globally