St Elizabeth Hospice today thanked everyone who made its Spring Ball a success – raising around £55,000.
The black-tie event, organised by a committee of Hospice supporters, took place at Trinity Park, Suffolk Showground, in Ipswich.
Around 300 people attended, enjoying a champagne reception followed by fine dining, music and dancing.
Around £55,000 was raised at the event and the Ball committee was instrumental in St Elizabeth Hospice receiving an additional major donation of £38,000 from the Suffolk-based Fonnereau Road Health Foundation.
The £55,000 will help pay for three days of running costs for St Elizabeth Hospice’s services, helping improve life for patients living with a progressive illness and provide support for their families.
The committee is made up of Sarah Craven, Stephanie Howell, Sarah Veale, Anna Clement, Serena Murray, Juliette Bonnar and Sarah Nicholl, who worked closely with St Elizabeth Hospice to organise the event.
Helen Causer, St Elizabeth Hospice’s Head of Community Engagement, said: “Our Spring Ball was a very special evening and we would like to thank our committee of supporters, our sponsors, volunteers and our business partners who helped make it such a success.
“To raise around £55,000 – enough to pay to run the Hospice for three days – was fantastic and will really make a difference to the services we provide to our patients and their families.
“Everyone who attended the Ball was extremely generous and the event would not have been possible without them.”
Brewin Dolphin was the headline sponsor of the ball and many local organisations sponsored different aspects of the evening, ensuring the Hospice could raise as much money as possible from the event.
The highlight was a fundraising auction featuring fantastic prizes donated by many high-profile companies.
Six tickets for Twickenham (donated by Ark Syndicate Management Ltd) and a tasting lunch for ten people at Goedhuis & Co in London (donated by David Roberts) were the most popular lots.
St Elizabeth Hospice is an independent local charity which costs £8.7 million a year to run and relies on donations and fundraising events to meet the majority of its running costs.
The Ball Committee (from left to right): Sarah Craven, Stephanie Howell, Sarah Veale, Anna Clement, Serena Murray, Juliette Bonnar and Sarah Nicholl.