A night to remember
Join us for drinks, food, awards and entertainment as we celebrate FIVE years of Rainbow Blades.
Rainbow Blades has recently won the Supporters' Group award at the 2025 Football v Homophobia awards. In addition, Our Founder, James Laley, also won the Football v Homophobia Hero award.
Let's celebrate, together.
We're holding a very special event for our 5th anniversary. An evening to celebrate inclusion. We'll be celebrating 5 years of progress & much more.
This event is open to EVERYONE to attend.
Standard ticket £40
Group ticket £240 (Table of 8 (25% group discount)
Group ticket £300 (Table of 10 (25% group discount)
Your ticket includes a welcome drink on arrival (choice of fizz, beer or soft drink), a delicious two-course meal cooked by the Hilton's brilliant chefs, and a night filled with entertainment, awards, music and dancing – all in our very own ballroom, featuring a private bar.
Book a room at the DoubleTree
If you are travelling to Sheffield for this event and would like to book a room at the venue, we have secured a special rate with the hotel.
Please ensure you book your room no later than 4 weeks prior to the event (1/5/25)
We'll keep announcing more about the event on this page
Food & drink
Your ticket includes a welcome drink on arrival (choice of fizz, beer or soft drink), a delicious two-course meal. All in our very own ballroom, featuring a private bar.
Choice of starters
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Apricot, pancetta and chicken parfait with sticky fig chutney.
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Bruschetta, cherry tomatoes, crushed avocado, basil, olives, balsamic glaze (vegan)
Choice of mains
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Slow-cooked belly pork with Colcannon and rainbow carrots.
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Katsu sweet potato falafel on white rice and katsu curry sauce (vegan)
Annie Priest
We're excited that Annie Priest (aka, Rainbow Blades Vice Chair, Anna Kent) will be performing live at our 5th Anniversary Ball.
Annie Priest moved to Sheffield in 2023 and has since been writing songs in homage to people and places close to their heart. Whether it’s their smoking drinking nun of a grandmother or the friend who marched at Pride ’85 alongside the miners, Annie tells gentle stories of love and hope, whilst calling us to take on the baton and continue the fight – for rights, for progress, and for peace. Expect lilting melodies accompanied by fingerpicking on a rusty electric guitar.
Rainbow Blades has achieved a lot over the past 5 years. Some of our highlights include.
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Marking LGBTQ+ football campaigns such as Rainbow Laces & Football v Homophobia.
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Building strong relationships with Sheffield United & the Community Foundation.
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Assisting in the delivery of LGBTQ+ education sessions with the club & foundation.
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Created our own bespoke campaigns such as Play your Part & United for All.
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Gaining 800 members.
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Making history by holding the first ever LGBTQ+ charity match at Bramall Lane.
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Winning the Fans for Diversity award from the Football Supporters’ Association & Supporters' Group award from Football v Homophobia.
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Empowering LGBTQ+ Blades to support and follow the club they love as their authentic selves.
Headline sponsor
“CMS is delighted to sponsor Rainbow Blades 5th Anniversary Ball. Promoting and celebrating diversity and inclusion in the workplace and across every part of society has never been more important, and we are proud to be part of a firm that puts these issues at the heart of everything we do. We are always keen to team up with organisations who feel as strongly on these issues as we do, especially in areas – like football – where much remains still to be done. We are delighted to be working with a supporter group dedicated to this important issue.
“We are looking forward to the Ball very much.”
Rebecca Roffe, Partner CMS Sheffield
Event partners & sponsors
