Olympic hero Roger Black signs up for lunch

Apr 15 2008 by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post

Roger Black

LEGENDARY British athlete Roger Black will be the guest speaker at this year’s NSPCC Safe Place sporting lunch.

The former world 400 metres silver medallist – who also scooped gold in the 4x400m relay – will speak at the event in May to raise money for the Hargreaves Centre, in Everton.

Other celebrity guests and sporting stars will be announced ahead of the three-course lunch in May.

A charity auction and raffle will also give guests the chance to edit an edition of the Liverpool Daily Post and bid for cases of Champagne.

Last year, the lunch raised more than £60,000 which was kept in Liverpool and ploughed back into the centre for its upkeep.

Cathy Frost, chair of the NSPCC fundraising committee, said: “We are pleased the lunch has become such a institution in Liverpool with many businesses attending every year, but there’s always space for more tables.

“The centre does such a fantastic job and it combines the services of the NSPCC team with Childline in one building. It makes such a difference to young people’s lives in Merseyside so it’s key we try and raise as much money as possible.”

The Safe Place Appeal, run in conjunction with the Liverpool Daily Post, was originally launched four years ago to raise £17m to build the centre in Everton. It opened as a centre of excellence last year and offers help to people including drug dependant mothers, families and abused children. The centre has also recently launched www.there4me.co.uk, a website specifically aimed at teenagers between 12-16.

It offers help with issues such as abuse, drugs, bullying and self-harm to children across Merseyside and the North West.

The Sporting Lunch will be held on May 9 at the Crowne Plaza, Liverpool. Tables of 10 cost £950.

VIP tables are also available and cost £1,500 and include a Champagne reception, branding opportunities at the event and a premier table position.

VIP guests will also be invited to submit a question to Roger Black.

* FOR tickets, email: helenekwebb@gmail.com

laurasharpe@dailypost.co.uk