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World Fives Day 2021: £6,900 Raised

Stefan Ferencz reports:

07/06/21: Between 1-16 May 2021, the Eton Fives Association and the Advanta Foundation joined forces to organise and promote an online raffle which raised over £6,900 for Young Minds, the UK’s leading charity championing the wellbeing and mental health of young people.

The online campaign marked the celebration of World Fives Day (May 5th), an annual event which brings together communities of fives players within the UK and across the world. The raffle included some fantastic prizes, ranging from a one-week stay at a picturesque cottage in North Dordogne (France), to Royal Ascot tickets or an opportunity to dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant anywhere in the UK. For a second consecutive year, celebrations took place remotely via social media, with photos and stories being shared by fives enthusiasts based in the UK, Nigeria, Mexico, Switzerland and Australia.

“I fell in love with fives at the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, I had only played for two years but I knew I wanted to bring the sport back to Mexico. Now, a new court in Oaxaca is almost ready and we are waiting for the equipment to arrive. My goal is to teach 3 or 4 kids ranging from 12 to 19 well enough so that they can organise and supervise games as well as teach their peers the basics of Eton Fives. My ambition is to invite one local school to form an Eton Fives team and find a way to invite them to the Shrewsbury or Eton competitions." - Emiliano Ruiz, Mexico.

The fundraiser also coincided with Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK (10-16 May 2021) and it reinforced the need to help vulnerable young people overcome symptoms of poor mental health.

“The Eton Fives Association, along with anybody that works with children and youngsters on a regular basis has recognised the significant difficulties that they have endured in recent times and therefore very much welcomed the opportunity to use our annual World Fives Day (the fifth day of the fifth month) to raise both awareness and funds to help groups that support children through mental health issues at this difficult time. It has been a real team effort. In particular we would like to thank our generous sponsors Advanta Wealth, who have shown genuine enthusiasm and support for our cause by match funding all the EFA’s donations. Our fundraising came principally from our exciting raffle and I should extend my thanks to those who contributed prizes and of course to our ticket buyers. I am delighted to say that we have been able to donate over £6,900 to Young Minds to help them continue their important work with children.”, Chris Davies, Chairman of Eton Fives Association.

“The Advanta Group are very proud sponsors of the EFA and so were delighted that our Foundation could support World Fives Day’s charitable endeavours. This is a tremendous result owing to the generosity of everyone involved in the EFA. The past year has been immensely challenging for young people and our collaboration has allowed us to make this substantial joint donation to Young Minds which I have no doubt will make such a big difference.” Gillian Piggot, Chair of the Advanta Foundation Committee.

The Eton Fives Association has a strong presence within the education sector and are determined to continue to raise awareness of mental health issues amongst children and young people. The Association welcomes any partnership opportunities that would allow the organisation to embed mental wellbeing and mental health training in future project delivery. To discuss potential partnership opportunities, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Eton Fives Association would like to thank everyone who took part in its raffle, the Advanta Foundation for their tremendous support, and all prize donors who made this event possible: Richard Black (President, Eton Fives Association), Spencer Chapman (Aston House Stud), Dale Vargas (author of “A History of Eton Fives”), John Reynolds (The Comic Art Website), Howard Wiseman (Wiseman Cases Ltd), Karen Hird (former Real Tennis World Champion), Robert Thorogood (creator of the BBC One murder mystery series Death in Paradise), Giles Coren (journalist and restaurant critic for The Times), Charlotta Cooley (Director, Eton Fives Association), Peter Scholey (Ridgeway Brewery) and Martin Wainwright (Eton Fives player).

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