TV presenter Gabby Logan hails ‘fun’ and ‘important’ BGC Charity Day

Match Of The Day presenter Gabby Logan has hailed the “fun” and “important” BGC Charity Day which sees celebrities take to the financial services company’s trading floors to raise money for a number of good causes.

The annual event pays tribute to more than 650 of the company’s workers who died in the 9/11 attacks.

It raises money for 60 participating charities, and has collected more than 220 million US dollars (£162 million) for charity globally since its inception in 2005.

Trading at the company’s London headquarters in her role as president of Muscular Dystrophy UK, Logan told the PA news agency: “This is the grand trading day at BGC that goes towards a range of charities, incredible charities, all of them, and they’re all very lucky to be chosen, as is ours, Muscular Dystrophy UK.

“I’m president of Muscular Dystrophy UK, so I’ve been here for quite a few years now with the charity, and every year we’re thrilled to come back because it’s a fun day and it’s an important day in terms of fundraising, but I think it’s also an important day in marking 9/11, which is what this is all about.

“So many people lost their lives from BGC and it was possibly the most people that died under one company, and what a brilliant way to remember those people and to give back.”

From the company’s London office on September 11 2001, brokers listened on the squawk box as New York colleagues passed messages to their families in their final moments, with the charity day created in order to honour their legacy.

Celebrities taking part in the event on Thursday included actors Tom Hardy and Hugh Grant, boxer Anthony Joshua, actress Billie Piper, England Lionesses Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo and Keira Walsh, and TV presenters Davina McCall and Amanda Holden.

Another celebrity raising money for her trust was former Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes, who told PA: “I’m here to obviously make a lot of money for charities, including my own, the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust.

“We’re now in our 18th year, we work with young people in communities, the health sector, and in schools, and we use retired and retiring athletes as their mentors while they’re trying to find their next purpose.

“We’re all about self-esteem, confidence, belief, and giving hope to young people that might not have it in their lives.

“But I’m here to be on the trading floor, I’ve got a big target, apparently, one of the little girls made £450 million today trading, I’m competitive.”

Other charities benefitting from this year’s event include Help For Heroes, the West Ham United Foundation, Battersea Cats And Dogs Home, and The Mayor’s Fund For London.

Alongside the London event, similar days will take place in BGC’s offices in New York, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo and Sydney.