An event to 'Never Forget': Take That woos Jersey crowd in orangutan fundraiser

Monday 18 September 2017

Take That gave a very special performance at the Investec Rainforest Ball on Saturday, in a bid to help raise funds to save the Sumatran orangutan and their rainforest habitat.

600 people attended the private concert at the Royal Jersey Showground after purchasing tickets in a silent auction.

Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald performed at the event thanks to a gift from Elaine and Chris Fairfax to the organisers of the Ball. The couple, who are lifelong animal lovers as well as supporters of Durrell, bid £1.1 million to have a private concert with Take That through the Children in Need charity last November. 

Great night in Jersey ! Thank you all xx pic.twitter.com/BpASp9hMwh

— Gary Barlow (@GaryBarlow) September 16, 2017

Guests seemed to have enjoyed the blast from the past as they saw the 90s pop band perform. Many enthusiastic posts appeared on social media thanking the trio for their "amazing" performance. Many couldn't believe their luck to have seen them perform in Jersey and wrote that they had been waiting for this moment "for years."

The weekend event saw Royal Jersey Showground was transformed into the rainforest of Sumatra with trees from the Hidden Garden Company and spectacular flowers by Romany Perchard for the evening.

Pictured: The Royal Jersey Showground transformed in the rainforest of Sumatra. (Jersey Events) 

While most focused on the performance by the 'fab three', the real stars of the night were the Sumatran orangutans. Organised by enthusiast Zoe Hotton, the event aimed to raise funds for the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. £129,000 was raised through a live auction presented by Lord Archer. More funds were raised through a raffle and silent auction for the tickets. The final amount should be revealed in the next couple of weeks.

The event was described by the organisers as "a spectacular evening of entertainment and education," thanks to the sponsors Investec and D.G.R. Slatter as well as "all those who have generously donated either their time or prizes for the raffle and auctions."

Pictured: Zoe Hotton who organised the ball with Durrell’s CEO Dr Lesley Dickie.

Commenting on the evening, Dr Lesley Dickie, Durrell’s CEO, said: “Orang-utans are some of our closest relatives and they are literally one step away from extinction. Losing them would be a travesty. 

“The ball was an incredible event and an opportunity to raise much needed funds to protect these apes that so desperately need our help. I hope we were also able to educate guests about consumer choices and how they can make a big impact on the world we live in.

Pictured: Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald preformed in front of 600 guests.  (Jersey Events)

"Both Durrell and the SOCP are so grateful to Zoe Hotton for organising this spectacular event. Her passion and dedication to this project has been both inspiring and humbling.”