90th Anniversary Gala for Friends of The Royal Marsden, Chelsea Will Take Place at Cadogan Hall
The star-studded event will be held Monday, October 20, 2025.
A special gala concert will celebrate the 90th anniversary of Friends of The Royal Marsden, Chelsea at Cadogan Hall, London, on Monday, October 20, 2025. The event will honor nine decades of the award-winning charity’s service and volunteer work supporting the Royal Marsden Hospital.
Hosted by internationally acclaimed pianist, singer, and Steinway & Sons Ambassador Dominic Ferris, the evening will feature performances from The Piano Brothers (Ferris and Elwin Hendrijanto), No. 1 vocal group BLAKE, West End soprano Georgi Mottram, Britain’s Got Talent winner Colin Thackery MBE, Joseph & Benjamin of Libera Choir, The Chelsea Pensioner Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra guest leader Stephen Morris, and Glyndebourne’s Jack Redman. The program will include music from West Side Story and the Great American Songbook, alongside classics such as “You Raise Me Up,” “I Dreamed a Dream,” and “What a Wonderful World.”
Guest readers presenting reflections on the charity’s evolution include Lord Jeffrey Archer, Consultant Gynaecological Oncology Surgeon John Butler, author and journalist Sophia Money-Coutts, and broadcaster Dr. Sian Williams. Recorded readings will also feature Annabel Croft and actress Charlotte Ritchie.
Founded in 1935 as the Ladies’ Association, the group of volunteers supported the world’s first hospital dedicated to cancer research and treatment. Over the decades, it evolved into Friends of The Royal Marsden, Chelsea—now an award-winning charity of more than 170 volunteers contributing around 20,000 hours annually. In 2019, the Friends received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honor given to a voluntary group in the UK. On average, the charity contributes approximately £250,000 each year to the hospital through fundraising and donations.
Wendy de Capell Brooke, President of the Friends, said, “This gala concert reflects nine decades of support for The Royal Marsden, Chelsea, through music and narrative in the form of ‘letters live.’ We are very grateful to Dominic Ferris and Sophia Money-Coutts for bringing to life the vision of long-standing volunteers Emily Eban, Sarah Phipps, and June Torrance.”
Sarah Phipps, Vice Chair and Meet & Greet Co-Ordinator for the charity, added, “The Marsden saved my life in 2015 and like many volunteers I joined to make a difference. I wanted to give back and enhance the patient experience, raising awareness of the work we do which in turn enables us to give money to the hospital for essential equipment.”
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