Institute chief executive wins award for ChilldLine charity work
Colin Steed, chief executive of the Institute of IT Training, was presented with an award by Countess of Wessex for his work in raising over £100,000 for children's charity ChildLine.
The Institute of IT Training's Chief Executive, Colin Steed, was presented with an award by HRH The Countess of Wessex in recognition of his work in raising £100,000 for ChildLine.
A large audience of significant fund raisers attended the event at the BT Tower, London, including veteran broadcaster Nicholas Parsons and Raymond Briggs, the author most well known for his 'The Snowman' and 'Fungus the Bogeyman' children's books.
Host Esther Rantzen, Chair and Founder of ChildLine, told the audience that Steed's achievement was "outstanding and driven by his unstinting personal desire and drive to help children in trouble or danger". She said that the Institute's Charity Auctions at the IT Training Awards nights at the Dorchester were a personal triumph for Steed who drove the event with passion and determination.
The Countess of Wessex presented Steed with a Wedgwood vase and congratulated him for all the work he has done to date for ChildLine.
Steed said: "Although I am at the forefront for raising the money for ChildLine, I have to thank all the staff at the Institute who help me with the auction, and especially to all the companies who sponsor the event and provide donations, and of course not forgetting my colleague Alan Bellinger, who has been the auctioneer on each of the six events. He has an uncanny knack of extracting money from everyone!"
Steed continued: "Of course, I certainly did not expect to receive any recognition like this, as it's something I want to do, but it is nice to receive the 'thank you' and it was especially nice to meet Esther again, and a tremendous honour to meet the Countess. She was really knowledgeable about the fundraising that everyone in the room does and it was encouraging that she really did know all about our Charity Auction. She is a lovely and charming lady and I am hoping that she will attend one of our events in the future."
Steed confirmed that the next IITT Charity Auction, in aid of ChildLine, is again at the IT Training awards at The Dorchester on Thursday 7th February 2008.