Over 950 guests eagerly arrived through the doors to a welcome drinks reception and what promised to be yet another fantastic day.

The construction industry's highly anticipated premier networking event raised the roof at the Westminster Park Plaza on Friday 1 December.

Taking the helm were rugby presenter and commentator David Flatman, ‘Flats,’ along with Ellie Costello, Weekend Breakfast presenter and journalist. They opened up proceedings with a hint of the all star line up to come and Flats spoke about the similarities between the macho image of rugby and the construction sector, highlighting the need for continued awareness of poor emotional wellbeing.   

As always the heads and tails game got everyone buzzing and even tested the audience’s knowledge of turkey cooking times.

The charity’s ‘Peter Capel’ Cup is awarded every year in recognition of outstanding achievement and contributions from organisations that support the charity. It was incredibly difficult for the judge’s to select a winner, but Multiplex shone through with its fantastic fundraising and ensuring its team and supply chain is aware of all the support available.

Accepting the highly coveted award, Claire Scrimgeour Health, Safety and Training Project Manager at Multiplex said: “ Multiplex takes great pride in supporting the Lighthouse Charity and we are honoured to receive the Peter Capel Cup. The charity holds a significant place in our hearts, and we are proud to work with and support it and those in our industry.”

Guests enjoyed a gourmet three course meal and auctioneer Addison Gelpey, prompted some frantic bidding for some unique lots including a VIP tour of the Aston Martin F1 Team Campus, a luxury holiday in India and VIP event tickets for top football matches and concerts.

Sporting celebrities then graced the stage to form a world class line up. First out of the starting blocks was Bernie Collins, strategy analyst for the Sky Sports F1 team and former race strategy engineer for Aston Martin. She joked with the audience about how her expert knowledge of rainy weather in Ireland helped her make strategic race winning decisions when calling in drivers for tyre changes and talked about the challenges of being a young female in a male dominated industry.

Next up was dynamic England wheelchair rugby duo, Martin, and Tom Coyd. Martin, spoke about the development of Wheelchair Rugby League in England and the fantastic achievement of winning the Wheelchair World Cup in 2022. Tom Coyd, Head coach for the team, shared how the sport was bringing together people of all abilities and helping to instil a real sense of inclusivity and achievement which came to fruition in last years’ Wheelchair World Cup where England basked in the glory of a hard fought 28-24 victory over arch rivals France to grasp a well deserved victory.

Legendary Harry Redknapp received a welcome roar when he joined the stage to talk about his illustrious career spanning over 30 years. He chatted about the perils of foreign players and transfer deadlines and his genuine lack of knowledge about what was involved when he was enticed to sign up for ITV’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2018. His constant reference and devotion to his wife Sandra and his quick-wit and sparky personality meant that he won that too!

Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, said: “Our annual lunch is always one of our biggest fundraising events and every year I continue to be staggered by the huge generosity of our supporters especially during these difficult times. Now, more than ever, the industry needs our support and I am always humbled by how we all come together; not just to celebrate our successes, but to make sure that our hard work continues to not only change lives, but to save lives too."

The afternoon finished with a resounding ‘Shine’ with tribute bank Re-Take That treating the audience to some of their greatest hits. The festivities continued well into the evening with guests embracing the Christmas spirit and making the most of the networking opportunities.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, you can reach out for free and confidential support now via 24/7 Construction Industry Helplines;  0345 605 1956, (UK)  1800 939 122 (ROI) or Text HARDHAT to 85258 (UK) 50808 (ROI).