Sussex Race Nights

I’ve been running Race Nights for around 30 years now, and it all started long before my professional career took shape. Back then, I was a Rotarian, heavily involved in community projects and always looking for ways to support local charities. Race Nights quickly became a natural part of that — a fun, social way to bring people together and raise money for causes that mattered. I’ve been on stage since I was young, so being on the microphone has always felt completely natural to me. Hosting, engaging a room, building energy — it’s something I’ve always loved. Race Nights give me the perfect outlet for that mix of showmanship and community spirit. Three decades on, I’m still doing them for the same reasons I started: they’re enjoyable, they make a real difference, and they bring people together in a way few events can. It’s been part of my life for so long that it feels less like a service and more like something I’m genuinely meant to do.

I’ve spent most of my life in and around the world of events and entertainment. It started at school, where I was always happiest on stage with a trumpet or sitting at a piano. From there, I found myself backstage at my local theatre during pantomime season, learning the ropes, soaking up the atmosphere, and realising how much I loved being part of a live show — whether I was in the spotlight or behind it. After being made redundant from a job early on, I took it as a sign to follow my passion properly. I went back to college to study Music Business, which opened the door to seven incredible years working on Cunard cruise ships as a stage manager. Life at sea taught me everything about timing, teamwork, and creating seamless experiences for audiences from all over the world. When I eventually returned to the UK, I carried that love of live events with me. I started running Race Nights, quizzes, DJ sets, and team‑building events alongside my audio‑visual business, providing sound, vision, and lighting for conferences, exhibitions, and live shows. It all felt like a natural extension of what I’d always done — bringing people together, creating atmosphere, and making events feel effortless for everyone else. The truth is, I just love being around a stage. On it, near it, behind it, it doesn’t matter. There’s something about the energy of a live audience that never gets old. Over the past few years, Sussex Race Nights has picked up a couple of awards, and through the events I’ve run, I’ve helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities, clubs, and schools. That’s something I’m genuinely proud of. It’s been a long journey, but every step has been driven by the same thing: a real love for this industry and the people it brings together.