Windsor | United Kingdom
During one of the hottest days, amid the heat wave that has been pummeling the UK recently, a crowd of over 300 guests came together for the love and polo and of course to support a wonderful cause. The Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2018 saw His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex get his boots dirty on the polo-field to help raise funds for the annual fundraising event.
Not only does the Duke of Sussex support the charity, but His Royal Highness also serves as its Co-Founding Patron. The charity works with young people affected by HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa.
Enda Kenny, Former Prime Minister of Ireland and ISPS Handa Patron said:
“I am delighted to be supporting the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup. Sentebale plays a vital role in improving the lives of vulnerable young people – yet it is everyone’s responsibility to contribute in whatever way we can.”
It has been a busy week for Sentebale; on Monday The Duke joined the charity’s Youth Advocates from Lesotho and Botswana at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, to advance the Let Youth Lead advocacy programme. Hosted at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2018 saw noticeable individuals such as Delfina Figueras, Mike Tindall, Johnny Hornby, Cathy Ferrier, Delfina Figueras and Enda Kenny the Former Prime Minister of Ireland were in attendance.
Sentebale’s flagship fundraising event has been running since 2010 and has taken place in different locations around the world, from Singapore to South Africa. This is the first time since that the prestigious event has returned to the UK. This is also the first year that ISPS Handa has assumed the role of title sponsor, having supported the event for a number of years. To date, the event has raised over £5 million for Sentebale’s work providing care, education and psychosocial support for children and young people living with HIV in Lesotho and Botswana, where the burden of the HIV epidemic remains.
At last year’s Sentebale Polo Cup, hosted in Singapore, The Duke spoke about the importance of the charity’s then recently established Let Youth Lead advocacy programme, which gives young people a platform to voice their challenges and experiences with HIV to drive policy change that better supports their generation.
At the same time, Sentebale’s flagship programme of Saturday clubs and residential camps has also gone from strength to strength, supporting a cohort of over 4,000 10-19 year olds living with HIV across Lesotho and Botswana.
Cathy Ferrier, CEO of Sentebale said, “We are so grateful to all our generous sponsors who continue to help youth affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in southern Africa through the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup. Adolescent deaths and new infections continue to rise amongst this age group in the region, so it is vital that we can continue to deliver much-needed care, education and psychosocial support, encouraging them to know and safely manage their HIV status.
“The funds raised through this annual flagship event remain key to Sentebale achieving our ambitious goals to reach as many young people as possible in southern Africa with the tools and knowledge they need to know and manage their HIV status. We are so grateful to ISPS Handa, our hosts the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, and to all of our fantastic sponsors for making this a day to remember; St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Royal Salute, US Polo Assn, Table Talk, and Justerini & Brooks.”
Following a thrilling and very close match, it was the Duke of Sussex and his team that took the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2018 home. The score was 5 –4, with the Royal Salute team, captained by Malcolm Borwick, narrowly missing out on the coveted prize. Forming part of His Royal Highness’ team was the charity’s, Ambassador Nacho Figueras. The trophy was presented to her husband by the proud Duchess of Sussex.
Images: Chris Jackson
