Giving back with gratitude and friendship was the topic of the day at The London City Lunch at Mansion House in the City of London, which was attended by over 250 guests on Friday 13 June and featured the guest of honour Bob Geldof, who took part in a fireside chat with broadcaster and journalist Mariella Frostrup.
The event was hosted by Alderman Vincent Keaveny, who was representing Lord Mayor Alistair King, and was attended by senior business executives from London and Dublin from many high-profile companies, including AIB, Starwood, Goldman Sachs, Teneo, Sodali, Ardstone, CBRE, EY, William Fry, Sona Asset Management, Arthur Cox, JLL and A&L Goodbody.
Generously sponsored by McCann FitzGerald LLP, Bank of Ireland and Business Post, the event raised funds for the Great Britain chapter of The Ireland Funds. A core focus for The Ireland Funds Great Britain’s grantmaking in 2025 is the relief of poverty and hardship among the Irish diaspora in Britain, providing grants to many Irish community centres across the country. On the day, guests heard how The Ireland Funds Great Britain had helped address the needs of the older Irish community in Britain, many of whom emigrated in the 1950s and 1960s, who now face financial hardship, loneliness and isolation.
In her welcome address, Bridget Walsh, the chair of The Ireland Funds Great Britain, thanked the audience for their support and announced a record year for grantmaking, with over £1.5 million in grants awarded to charities across Great Britain and Ireland, double that of the same period last year, and benefitting over 20,000 people. Bridget Walsh also spoke about the success the Irish diaspora community has achieved and called on the audience to reflect on those who paved the way and gave them the opportunity to thrive, inviting those gathered to give back with gratitude.
Katie Jemmett, Executive Director of the GB chapter, invited guests to donate in support of The Ireland Funds GB and its Community Impact Fund which delivers lifesaving programmes that build connection, reduce isolation and look after the elderly Irish diaspora in a culturally sensitive way. This year, included among 30 grants awarded via the Community Impact Fund are funding for a Dementia Support Programme at Coventry Irish Centre, a weekly lunch club at Irish Community Care in Manchester, and specialist welfare and benefits advice by Brent Irish Advisory Service.
The highlight of the afternoon was a fireside chat with Bob Geldof, in conversation with Mariella Frostrup. With a friendship dating back to the days of Boomtown Rats and Live Aid, they engaged in a lively discussion that covered advocacy, leadership and Ireland. Geldof spoke about the anniversaries of both Boomtown Rats and Live Aid, which mark their 50th and 40th anniversaries in 2025. He reflected on the enduring impact of Live Aid and spoke about how the glue of humanity is empathy.
To close the fireside chat, Geldof and Frostrup both read poems by WB Yeats to mark his 160th birthday, which fell on the day. Tying in with the theme of emigration and supporting the older Irish diaspora, Geldof read “The Lake Isle of Inisfree” and “He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven” and Frostrup read “When You Are Old and Grey”.
The 2026 London City Lunch takes place on Friday 12 June.
Photography by Noel Mullen.
We are delighted to have the support of our sponsors, McCann FitzGerald, Bank of Ireland and Business Post.
