Energy and Financial Communities Team Up For WellChild at 2012 Energy Dinner

- Annual Event Has Raised 1,355,604 Pounds Sterling Since Its Inception

LONDON, April 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Platts last night transformed the ballroom of London's Park Lane Intercontinental Hotel into ancient Olympia for this year's Energy Dinner, which gathered the who's who of the energy and financial communities. All proceeds from the event, now in its ninth year, go to the aid of WellChild, the U.K.'s national charity for critically ill children.

Lead sponsor Platts and its more than 500 guests raised some 155,604 pounds in support of WellChild, one of patron Prince Harry's six favourite charities. The WellChild Energy Dinner has raised more than 1,355,604 pounds since its inception.

"Each year we're honored to be able to put on a wonderful event that gives back to the community and assists the great work of WellChild and its programs that aid sick children, their families and the nurses who help them," said Jim Simpson, general manager of power at Platts, a leading global energy, petrochemicals and metals information provider and Energy Dinner sponsor since 2004.

Toga-clad greeters welcomed guests from companies such as Gazprom, Statoil, RWE, Chevron, CME Group, the IntercontinentalExchange, Morgan Stanley and Barclays Capital to the ancient Grecian-themed event, which paid homage to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The evening featured both live and silent auctions, but the winners of the Energy Dinner's "Olympic games" were the many and varied WellChild programs themselves. The evening's donations and raised funds will support a range of WellChild initiatives including research, WellChild Nursing teams and its Helping Hands endeavor, a program that ensures family homes and community buildings are adequately prepared and ready for young people once they leave hospital.

"We at WellChild would like to say a hearty 'thank you' to all those who attended the Energy Dinner, those who organized it and for everyone's generosity.  Year after year, the marvellous event raises much needed monies to help us with our critical work of care, support and research for some of the U.K.'s seriously ill children and their families," said Colin Dyer, chief executive, WellChild. "Because of the support of all the people at the Energy Dinner, the lives of many sick children in the U.K. are made considerably better."

The WellChild charity, through its focus on care, support and research, helps sick children and their families throughout the U.K. as they deal with serious illness and complex conditions.  It provides teams of WellChild Children's Nurses who work with families to ensure that children with complex care needs are able to leave hospital and return to their home environments. Through its Helping Hands initiative, WellChild enlists the support of volunteers to tackle practical projects and other assistance in the homes of sick children. In addition, the charity has invested more than 20 million pounds in ground-breaking children's health research projects.

In March 2007, Prince Harry became the first royal patron of WellChild and he has shown a personal commitment to helping WellChild improve opportunities for seriously ill children and young people. To learn more about Price Harry's WellChild patronage and the organisation, visit http://www.wellchild.org.uk.

*Final donation totals, including those contributed at the silent auction, are still pending.

Notes to Editors:

WellChild is the national charity for sick children and is committed to helping children and their families throughout the UK as they deal with the consequences of serious illness and complex conditions. WellChild focuses on three key areas:

• WellChild Care: The team of WellChild Children's Nurses work with sick children and their families in towns and cities across the country. These specialist nurses help to ensure that children with complex care needs can leave hospital and return home, and they are vital in the prevention of frequent re-admissions.
• WellChild Support: The practical help provided by the WellChild Helping Hands scheme enlists the support of volunteers from companies and organisations up and down the country to tackle individual home development projects.
• WellChild Research: WellChild has invested more than 20 million pounds in ground-breaking children's health research projects. We have also provided funding for the development of the Neonatal Research Laboratory at Evelina Children's Hospital in London, the WellChild Pain Research Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and the Children's Research Centre at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

For more information, please see www.wellchild.org.uk

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