On 26 April 2018, 12 Kingsley Napley ‘celebrities’ each teamed up with a dancer, donned sequins and Cuban heels and took to the dancefloor to perform in the firm’s Strictly Come KN charity event, raising an incredible £16,000 for Mental Health Charity SANE and Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice.
The participants were:
- Alison Burdick (Marketing Director) and Harry Parker
- Charlotte Bradley (Family - Partner) and Dean Thirlwell
- Chris Boughton (Regulatory - Legal Assistant) and Christina Matziaris
- David Newnham (Real Estate - Associate) and Lucy Bluck (a Paralegal in the Real Estate team)
- Jo Stephens (Criminal Litigation - Senior Associate) and Alex McDonald
- Katie Newbury (Immigration - Senior Associate) and Jorge de Sousa
- Lewis Jenkins (Accounts Assistant) and Anastasia Shea
- Robert Read (Real Estate – Associate) and Freya Leask
- Sevim Ahmet (Clinical Negligence - Associate) and Jason Sousa
- Stephanie Mooney (Private Client - Associate) and Oskar Odiakosa
- Tom Beak (Real Estate - Associate) and Juliet Sharples
- Will Christopher (Dispute Resolution - Partner) and Flo Martin
The final performance was the culmination of four months of training and was enjoyed by over 270 spectators. The four judges were Kingsley Napley’s family partner Jane Keir, HR Director Jemimah Cook, professional dance coach Sue Lintott and Strictly Come Dancing’s very own Robin Windsor as the special guest head judge, who all agreed that to reach the standard shown by the celebs would usually take at least a year of training. The evening was masterfully hosted by ‘Bruce’ (Jim Sawer, partner in the Private Client Department) and ‘Tess’ (Maeve Keenan, trainee solicitor). Members of the firm’s Charities and Communities Committee worked extremely hard both in the build-up and on the night to put on a fantastic evening that was enjoyed by all.
It was a hard-fought competition, with the standard set high, but the ultimate winner of the coveted Strictly Come KN glitterball trophy was Lewis Jenkins and his partner Anastasia Shea. Congratulations!
Strictly Come KN will be remembered fondly in years to come not only for the sparkles and fake tan but for the incredible amount of money raised for the firm’s two chosen charities; Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice which is a community-based hospice service providing support for children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families, and SANE, a leading UK mental health charity that works to improve quality of life for anyone affected by mental illness. These are undoubtedly two very worthy causes and the money Strictly Come KN has raised will make big a difference to those who need help.
Thank you to everyone for their unwavering support, enthusiasm and dedication.
Keeeeeeeep dancing!
Strictly Come KN in the Press
- Noah's Ark Children's Hospice - Kingsley Napley sparkles for cha-cha-charity
- SANE - Kingsley Napley raises over £16,000 for SANE and Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice!
- The Times - 'Best foot forward'
View the #StrictlyComeKN Twitter feed
The Kingsley Napley strictly event was in the words of Craig Revel Horwood - FAB U LOUS darrrrrrlings. I was honoured to be a judge and help raise money for such wonderful causes - really looking forward to next year."
Robin Windsor, professional dancer and Celebrity Strictly Come Dancing judge
ITV embarrassed itself with its Real Full Monty show, where 16 celebrities were paid £10,000 each while raising only £4,000 for charity. They should have taken a lesson from Kingsley Napley, whose Strictly Come KN staff dance competition raised £15,000 for SANE and Noah's Ark Children's Hospice."
Edward Fennell, Writer, The Times
The room was filled with an electric buzz of excitement and it was really great to be a part of the audience and watch the dancers. The employees at Kingsley Napley were so supportive of each other and I was blown away by the passion and support KN showed to SANE."
Antalia Terblanche, Fundraising and Marketing Officer, SANE
The amazing Kingsley Napley raised over £15,000 for Noah's Ark and Sane."
Noah's Ark Children's Hospice
Amazing - well done, everyone!"
Bell Yard Communications
Thanks for your support Robin Windsor! Bloomin’ marvellous night at #StrictlyComeKN and so much money raised for such brilliant causes!"
Stacey Nevin, associate, Kingsley Napley
So proud of all of my colleagues at Kingsley Napley and the professionals for all their hard work in putting on such an amazing night and showing there is more to life than work."
Angela Must, senior associate, Kingsley Napley
Incredible dancing at the KN version of Strictly!"
Julie Matheson, partner, Kingsley Napley
