- Duke of Cambridge attended Tusk Trust 25th Anniversary Ball, Syon House
- 500 guests attended a glittering event held at historic Syon House, Middlesex, home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland Charity Auction raised in excess of £ 400,000
- Land Rover has supported the Tusk Trust for sixteen years acting as the principal vehicle for much of the charity's conservation work
Whitley, UK, September 18th 2015: The Duke of Cambridge, Royal Patron of Tusk Trust, attended the conservation charity's 25th Anniversary Ball, at Syon House, honouring the impact of their work in the midst of the continuing crisis facing wildlife in Africa today. In the speech given by Prince William he said: "We must take action. On the ground, we must help educate growing populations in Africa who live alongside these creatures and benefit from their economic value. I'm proud to say that Tusk specialises in this. Tusk is one of the world's leading charities in its field ‑ its expertise is second to none, its commitment to the cause undiminished, and its ability to get things actually done on the ground is unparalleled. That's a hard act to pull off, but Tusk does it."
The Duke added his thanks to Land Rover for their ongoing generosity through funding and vehicles.
Land Rover's collaboration with Tusk started 16 years ago, when they first supported the Lewa Marathon in Kenya. The Trust has also been supported with several Land Rover vehicles, which are in constant use supporting the Tusk's work across Africa.
500 guests were hosted by Tusk Patron, Deborah Meaden and treated to a star studded line up of entertainment including a live performance by Grammy Award‑winning British soul singer and songwriter Joss Stone.
The evening included a live auction conducted by ex‑international rugby player Martin Bayfield with the star lot being a Land Rover Defender 90XS which went under the hammer fetching an incredible £55,000.
Experiential Marketing Director, Mark Cameron said "We are delighted to join the Duke of Cambridge and Tusk in celebrating this milestone anniversary. Land Rover is committed to help save save our planet's wildlife. With shocking new statistics about the loss of our wildlife being released every day, it is more important than ever that we do all we can to support the efforts of Tusk and we are proud to be able to do so."
ENDS
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Editors Note:
Land Rover
- Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true 'breadth of capability' across the model range. Defender, Freelander, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's 4x4 sectors with 80% of this model range exported to over 170 countries.
Tusk
- Tusk is recognised as a highly effective and efficient force in African wildlife conservation with offices in both the UK and USA. Over the past 25 years the charity has raised well over £25m and supported a diverse portfolio of projects focused on wildlife protection, community development and education programmes. The charity currently supports 50 projects across 18 countries in Africa.
- Tusk is using its 25th Anniversary to raise £5m to help secure its growing conservation legacy and to aid international efforts to halt the illegal wildlife trade.
- HRH The Duke of Cambridge became Royal Patron of Tusk Trust in December 2005 and he has actively supported the charity's work both privately and publicly on many occasions. In June 2010, The Duke visited the work of Tusk in Botswana with his brother Prince Harry during their first joint overseas tour.