A few months after our successful 25th Annual Budapest Burns Supper we would like to give you a bit of feedback on the progress we are making with the funds that you all raised in January.
We have identified projects with 6 different beneficiaries around the country, all of which will benefit sick children around Hungary.
The beneficiaries are:
1. Neonatal Department of the Péterfy Sándor utca Hospital, Budapest
2. 2nd Department of Paediatrics, Semmelweis University, Budapest
3. Paediatric Department of Szent Rafael Hospital, Zalaegerszeg
4. Péter Cerny Foundation for Premature Babies, Budapest
5. Paediatric Department of the Csongrád-Csanád County Health Centre, Hódmezővásárhely
6. Infant and Children’s Department at Mezőtúr Hospital, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County
Five of these projects have already received the funding from the RBIF, and the much-needed equipment has already been ordered. After finalising the details on the 6th project we hope soon to be able to send that funding too.
Once the hospitals have taken possession of the equipment we will of course provide you with all the details and photos, so you can rest assured that your generosity at the January Burns Supper is being put to the best possible use!
Anyone who has been to a Burns Supper will not forget the rousing sound of bagpipes and drums in full flow. It really lends a great deal of authenticity to the event, and makes it a memorable night for Scots and non-Scots alike. But how much do you actually know about the pipers and drummers who perform for us every year? Did you know there are World Champions in the ballroom every year? Did you know that this is often the only time they now play together?
We asked Stevie Brown about who the band are, where they come from, and most importantly, why do they come back year after year…
Most of us played together at Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band and have known each other for around 35 years. We live all over Scotland, and mostly having retired from competing now, we get together especially to come to Budapest.
It is an honour and a privilege to be invited to join you once again this year and we are delighted to congratulate the RBIF on the occasion of the 25th Burns Supper to raise funds for the Foundation and the worthy causes it supports.
We have been very fortunate, in the past, to have competed at the highest level, winning numerous titles, including multiple World Championships. We have been afforded the opportunity to travel the world, we’ve appeared on TV shows, met celebrities and made recordings, even earning a gold disc for a collaboration with traditional musicians from across Europe.
However, to be associated with the RBIF for around 20 years has provided us with the most gratifying and humbling experiences, not only entertaining guests at the Burns Supper, but actively engaging with the children who benefit from the charity work of the Foundation.
We have played for youngsters in hospital cancer wards, orphanages, schools and community centres and cannot overstate the effects these visits have had on us. We hope that we have left the children with even a fraction of the memories with which they have provided us.
Budapest has become a very special place for us and the friendships formed here will last for many years to come. We wish the RBIF continued success in all its ventures in the future and are eternally grateful to be acknowledged by the Foundation as the charity’s official pipers and drummers.
A huge thank you to all the helpers and sponsors that assisted with the 25th Annual Budapest Burns Supper at the Corinthia Budapest. Many people, companies and organisations support us in different ways, both financially and with products or services. Without their generous assistance the Burns Supper would not be the event it is.
The money raised from the gala will be put towards our charity projects in 2022, along with the kind donations that we have received as well.
Follow us and stay updated
Make sure you like the RBIF Facebook page or follow us on Instagram or Twitter to be sure of hearing all the details about next year’s event in good time, and to find out what projects the RBIF will be supporting throughout 2022.
The Robert Burns International Foundation (RBIF) is supported by the British Ambassador to Hungary and the Hungarian Ambassador to the UK. The Honorary President of the foundation is Sir Alex Ferguson, former manager of Manchester United football club. In the last 25 years the organisation has raised several hundred thousand euros to help sick and underprivileged children.
A big thank you to everyone who ordered one of the Burns Supper Hampers, and we hope you enjoyed a traditional Burns Night meal from the comfort of your own home.
Despite being largely closed since the spring, the team at the Corinthia Hotel were a huge help to us in making their facilities available once more, and ensuring that the hampers were filled with all that you needed to enjoy Burns Night.
Continued support
In what has been a very difficult 12 months for everyone we are grateful for the continued support of Arran Distillery and Zwack/Diageo for providing our whisky, to Kovács Nimrod Winery for the lovely wines, Magyar&Sons for the pálinka, Törley for the champagne, I.J. Mellis for the cheese, and to UPS for arranging the transport of the haggis and cheese directly from Scotland.
The money raised from the hampers will be put towards our charity projects in 2021, along with the kind donations that we have received as well.
SME Sponsorship Scheme
Should you wish to support the RBIF in 2021, possibly joining our SME Sponsorship Scheme to support smaller-scale projects at children’s hospitals around the country, please get in touch.
This year UPS not only had to contend with the restrictions brought on by the pandemic, but also the problems of Brexit, and they came through with flying colours, as ever. If you think UPS could be of help to you or your business, please contact them directly, by helping our sponsors you help the RBIF!
Summary of 2020
2020 was a busy year for the RBIF, despite all the restrictions brought on by the pandemic. Normally we provide you all with a printed brochure of our activities at the Burns Supper, but this year, you can access it electronically below. We hope you enjoy reading what your donations facilitated last year.
Make sure you like the RBIF Facebook page or follow us on Instagram or Twitter to be sure of hearing all the details about next year’s event in good time, and to find out what projects the RBIF will be supporting throughout 2020.
The Robert Burns International Foundation (RBIF) is supported by the British Ambassador to Hungary and the Hungarian Ambassador to the UK. The Honorary President of the foundation is Sir Alex Ferguson, former manager of Manchester United football club. In the last 20 years the organisation has raised several hundred thousand euros to help sick and underprivileged children.
A huge thank you to all the helpers and sponsors that assisted with the 23rd Annual Budapest Burns Supper at the Corinthia Budapest. Many people, companies and organisations support us in different ways, both financially and with products or services. Without their generous assistance the Burns Supper would not be the event it is.
We raised HUF 11 million on the night, with a further HUF 2 million raised after the Burns Supper, a fantastic achievement by everyone involved. Together with reserves we will be looking to finance new projects in 2020 worth HUF 15 million.
Check out our gallery for all the photos of the evening!
SPONSOR OF THE YEAR
Make sure you like the RBIF Facebook page or follow us on Instagram or Twitter to be sure of hearing all the details about next year’s event in good time, and to find out what projects the RBIF will be supporting throughout 2020.
The Robert Burns International Foundation (RBIF) is supported by the British Ambassador to Hungary and the Hungarian Ambassador to the UK. The Honorary President of the foundation is Sir Alex Ferguson, former manager of Manchester United football club. In the last 20 years the organisation has raised several hundred thousand euros to help sick and underprivileged children.
A huge thank you to everyone that attended the Annual Budapest Burns Supper on 26 January 2019. The 22nd annual event was held as ever in the Grand Ballroom of the Corinthia Hotel Budapest.
As a Burns Supper there are many traditional elements, such as the Address to the Haggis, performed by the lead piper Rab Tait in his own inimitable way. Guests are also treated to Scotland’s national dish of haggis, neeps and tatties as a starter, with many asking for more! This year, UPS stepped up to bring over 140 kg of haggis and cheese from Scotland to Budapest for the Burns Supper.
The entertainment this year was a veritable mix of Scottish and Hungarian culture. First of all we heard the wonderful voice of Rebecka Johnston, singing some traditional Scottish folk songs. Then we had the amazingly talented Alison Ewan, a Scottish fiddler who flew out specifically to be with us at the Burns Supper. After Alison played for us she was joined on stage by a Hungarian fiddler and the rest of the Corinthia’s resident band for a truly delightful international performance.
The Budapest Burns Suppers have been growing and growing, and have been sell-outs in the last few years. The superb venue provides a great setting for some serious fundraising in the course of the evening, which was helped this year by our auction, which we took online for the very first time, and this led to some great competition for the great prizes on offer.
Overall we raised just short of HUF 14 million, which will be donated to the 2nd Department of Paediatrics in Tűzoltó utca, the Péterfy Children’s Hospital, and other projects to be announced over the coming months by the Robert Burns International Foundation.
Sponsor of the Year was Budapest Airport, a huge thanks to them, but the event can never be held without the support of our other major sponsors too:
Nevis Sponsors: FirstMed Centers, BP Saltire Sponsors: BlackRock, Woodbrook Wealth, Generali Insurance Thistle Sponsors: Provident, CBRE Auction/raffle sponsor: Qatar Airways
You can find the photos from the Burns Supper in our gallery, but also take a look at the video below which really captures the atmosphere at the event, and we are grateful to Péter Thoman at Inter-PR for his voluntary help in recording all the great photo and video memories.
The organisers would also like to thank WhiskyNet, Arran Distillery, CocaCola, Heineken, Diageo, Zwack, Miko Coffee, Szentkirályi-Kékkúti Water and Vylyan Wineries, as well as all those who helped with the raffle and the auction.
Make sure you like the RBIF Facebook page or follow us on Instagram or Twitter to be sure of hearing all the details about next year’s event in good time, and to find out what projects the RBIF will be supporting throughout 2019.
The Robert Burns International Foundation (RBIF) is supported by the British Ambassador to Hungary and the Hungarian Ambassador to the UK. The Honorary President of the foundation is Sir Alex Ferguson, former manager of Manchester United football club. In the last 20 years the organisation has raised several hundred thousand euros to help sick and underprivileged children.
Just a few weeks after the festivities around Christmas and New Year, people are always ready for a party again, which makes the timing of the traditional Budapest Burns Supper perfect. The 21st annual event was held as ever in the amazing Ballroom of the Corinthia Hotel Budapest on 27 January 2018.
As a Burns Supper there are many traditional elements, such as the Address to the Haggis, performed by the lead piper Rab Tait in his own inimitable way. Guests are also treated to Scotland’s national dish of haggis, neeps and tatties as a starter, with many asking for more! Over the years, DHL as a sponsor have brought over almost one and a half tonnes of haggis from Scotland to Budapest for the Burns Supper.
This year guests were entertained by the fabulous singing and poetry recital of Sophie Craig, a 16-year-old girl from Alloway, who performed at Burns’ Cottage on the 25th before jumping on a plane to perform in Budapest as well. A real talent!
The Budapest Burns Suppers have been growing and growing recently, and almost 350 people attended this year, a record turnout. The superb venue provides a great setting for some serious fundraising in the course of the evening.
Overall more than HUF 13 million was raised, which will be donated to the 2nd Department of Paediatrics in Tűzoltó utca, the Péterfy Children’s Hospital, and other projects to be announced over the coming months by the Robert Burns International Foundation.
Sponsor of the Year was Generali Foundation, a huge thanks to them, but the event can never be held without the support of our regular sponsors too:
Gold Sponsors: Corinthia Hotel, Budapest Airport, FirstMed Centers and Woodbrook Wealth. Silver Sponsors: Qatar Airways, DHL and Diageo. Bronze Sponsors: Theodora Water, CBRE and Inter Relocation.
Click here to see all the photos from the Burns Supper, and we are grateful to photographer Russell Skidmore for his voluntary help in recording all the great memories from the event.
The organisers would also like to thank WhiskyNet, Arran Distillery, CocaCola, Dreher, Volvo, Szent Donát Winery Babiczki Winery, Zwack, Nespresso, as well as all those who helped with the raffle and the auction.
With so many people turning up, make sure you like the RBIF Facebook page to be sure of hearing all the details about next year’s event in good time, and to find out what projects the RBIF will be supporting throughout 2018!
The Robert Burns International Foundation (RBIF) is supported by the British Ambassador to Hungary and the Hungarian Ambassador to the UK. The Honorary President of the foundation is Sir Alex Ferguson, former manager of Manchester United football club. In the last 20 years the organisation has raised several hundred thousand euros to help sick and underprivileged children.
20th Burns Supper: Money raised to help sick children exceeds HUF 8 million
At the 20th anniversary gala and Scottish cultural event of the Robert Burns International Foundation (RBIF) on 21 January, donations raised for the healthcare projects embraced by the foundation amounted to more than ever before.
This year’s 20th Anniversary Budapest Burns Supper – not unlike in previous years – was held for its exclusive guests in the grandiose ballroom of the Corinthia Hotel with a typical dose of Scottish culture.
Following the celebratory toast of Iain Lindsay, British Ambassador to Hungary, Zoltán Magyar founder of the RBIF and President of the Hungarian Scottish Society, and Douglas Arnott, Chairman of the RBIF Curatorium, awarded PriceWaterhouseCoopers the Ferenc Puskás – Sir Alex Ferguson Award, given annually to the sponsor of the year. The award was named after the legendary captain of the Golden Team, Ferenc Puskás, and the honorary president of the foundation, Sir Alex Ferguson, former manager of Manchester United, and is always given to the company that was the most outstanding supporter of the foundation that year. This spring, Ferguson will personally hand the award over to Nick Kós, managing director of PwC, at a Manchester United football match at Old Trafford.
The Burns Supper, full of original Scottish culinary delicacies, is organised annually in honour of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. This year, besides the Scottish pipers and dancers, and the indispensable haggis with its special ceremony, folk dancers from Transylvania added some Hungarian spice to the event.
The Budapest Burns Supper is unique in the sense that the money gathered from entrance fees, the raffle and the auction of products, services offered by sponsors is spent entirely on charity by the Robert Burns International Foundation. At this year’s event this amounted to HUF 8 million, from which the foundation will buy medical equipment for the neonatal unit of the Péterfy Children’s Hospital, the 2nd Department of Paediatrics in Tűzoltó utca, Budapest, and Miskolc Hospital, as well as supporting the Zabar Nursery School in Nógrád county. The foundation raised more than HUF 12 million for healthcare institutions in 2016.
Sponsor of the Year: PwC Hungary Gold sponsors: Budapest Airport, Corinthia Hotel, Deloitte Hungary, Generali Insurance Silver sponsors: KPMG, Qatar Airways, Diageo, DHL, Woodbrook Wealth Bronze sponsors: Toray Water AG
The Robert Burns International Foundation (RBIF) is supported by the British Ambassador to Hungary and the Hungarian Ambassador to the UK. The Honorary President of the foundation is Sir Alex Ferguson, former manager of Manchester United football club. In the last 20 years the organisation has raised several hundred thousand euros to help sick and underprivileged children.
19th Burns Supper: more than HUF 5 million raised for premature babies and sick children
At the largest charity event of the Robert Burns International Foundation (RBIF), the traditional Scottish Burns Supper held on 23 January 2016, the guests raised more than HUF 5 million for the child health-care projects earmarked by the Foundation – this year including the Neonatal Department of the Péterfy Sándor Hospital and the 2nd Department of Paediatrics in Tűzoltó utca.
The Budapest Burns Supper is one of the highlights of the ball season, attended by executives, ambassadors, business-owners and groups of friends. At the evening demonstrating facets of Scottish culture, the guests were entertained by a children’s choir, a live bagpipe performance, a young opera singer and Scottish country dancers, before being able to learn different Scottish dances themselves after the dinner.
Zoltán Magyar, founder of the RBIF and the Hungarian-Scottish Society, along with Douglas Arnott, Chairman of the RBIF Curatorium handed over the Sponsor of the Year trophy, the Puskás Ferenc – Sir Alex Ferguson Award, to Deloitte. The award bears the name of the legendary Hungarian footballer and captain of the “Golden Team”, as well as the Honorary President of the RBIF, former manager of Manchester United. The trophy is awarded to the most outstanding supporter of the Foundation over the year. Sir Alex Ferguson will hand over the trophy in person to Gerard Lucey, CFO of Deloitte, at a home Manchester United game at Old Trafford this autumn. The Loyal Toast was given by Caitlin Jones, Chargé d’Affaires at the British Embassy in Budapest to the 315 guests. As a special guest of the evening, György Szöllősi, representing the Puskás Ferenc Institute, handed over a copy of the Puskás biography to the Sponsor of the Year. This third edition with a foreword by Ferguson was published in December 2015.
What is special about the Budapest Burns Supper is that the funds raised from tickets, the raffle as well as products and services offered by sponsors for the are donated in their entirety by the Robert Burns International Foundation for charitable purposes. This amounted to more than HUF 5 million at this year’s event, which the RBIF will be using to buy special equipment for the Neonatal Department at the Péterfy Sándor Hospital, and helping to fund the renovation of the operatingtheatre and related facilities at the 2nd Department of Paediatrics in Tűzoltó utca. In 2015 a further HUF 10 million was donated to these two institutions for medical equipment.
The Grand Ballroom of the Corinthia Hotel Budapest hosted the 18th Annual Budapest Burns Supper on 24 January 2015. Around 300 guests packed into the ballroom for an evening of great entertainment with fine food, fine wines, and fine whiskies.
Everyone was able to enjoy live pipe band music featuring world champion musicians, the traditional Address to the Haggis by Rab Tait, the lead piper, a choir performance by children from the Austrian-Hungarian Europaschule, and a Scottish country dancing display.
The chef at the Corinthia Hotel put together a superb menu including haggis flown in fresh from Inverness, Scotland. A night of Scottish culture and entertainment would not be complete without suitable refreshments, and we were fortunate to enjoy the support of Dreher, Diageo, Zwack Hungary and WhiskyNet, who manned the whisky-tasting bar again with a selection of malts from all round Scotland, while Vargabor and Hangácsi és Fia provided top-quality wines to accompany the meal.
The Puskás Ferenc – Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy was presented to the RBIF’s Sponsor of the Year, the Mercedes-Benz / Evobus, represented by General Manager Ingo Fröhlich. The trophy will be presented again by the RBIF’s Honorary President Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, Manchester in April 2015.
The raffle prizes (first prize: two tickets with Turkish Airlines anywhere in the world) and the auction items were very popular, raising over 5 million HUF on the night, a fantastic achievement, and this money will be used over the year to sponsor the projects designated by the Foundation.
As ever we are grateful to all our sponsors who make this event possible.
https://rbif.hu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/RBIF-2015-feature-.jpg4561000editmachttps://rbif.hu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/cropped-RBIF-logo-280px.pngeditmac2014-11-27 16:08:232018-07-25 20:31:042015 Budapest Burns Supper
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However, to be associated with the RBIF for around 20 years has provided us with the most gratifying and humbling experiences, not only entertaining guests at the Burns Supper, but actively engaging with the children who benefit from the charity work of the Foundation.
