A fabulous night! Hollywood ball takes centre stage with more than £6,000 raised

 

Rev Richard Westwood with Faye Bray and Jane Dayus-Hinch. All photos by Jim Mayer, Gingersnaps

WE have so many people to thank for their support for the Hollywood Ball held last weekend. It was a brilliant night, with more than £6,000 raised to help villagers from Cheslyn Hay and Great Wyrley support some of Africa's most vulnerable people.

The money raised - an “astounding amount” according to organisers  -- will help fund hands-on work by volunteers to help children affected by Aids.

Party-goers enjoyed a performance by X Factor star Faye Bray and an auction from Wedding SOS presenter Jane Dayus-Hinch at the bash at Cannock’s Ramada Hotel on behalf of the Link4Life project.

The event was sponsored by EDS Couriers of Cannock, Shifnal’s Heaven Skincare, Cannock agency Passionate Media (hey, that's us), West Midlands designer Aqueous Graphics, as well as Cannock accountants Accountancy 4 Growth and IT specialists Logicomm 2000.

Organised by fundraiser Julie Tomkinson and our very own Carol Garrington, the event smashed through a target of £5,000 thanks to the generosity of guests.

Special thanks were also given to students from Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay High Schools for all their help on the night and to Cheslyn Hay High School music teacher Pat Collins who played the piano during a VIP reception. Burntwood photographer Sara Moseley raised cash through portraits of party-goers and Wolverhampton photographer Jim Mayer of Gingersnaps donated his time to supply publicity pictures.

 

In July this year a group of volunteers including businessmen, mums, and churchgoers is set to visit South Africa to help two charities providing life-saving support for orphaned and vulnerable children. The visit to the White River region (Mpmumalanga) will be the culmination of a community-wide fundraising collaboration uniting the two villages, known as the Link4Life project.

This includes eight pupils from both Great Wyrley High School and Cheslyn Hay Sport and Community High School, as well as two teachers from each school.

Eleven people from Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay are also going, plus two youth workers. In the years to come The Link 4 Life Project aims to help young people from local communities visit the work of these charities and then encourage them to raise awareness and more funds for the people in real need in southern Africa.

Charities being helped are Hands at Work – A Christian charity working to help those orphaned by or otherwise affected by HIV/Aids and Mercy Air.

Rev Westwood said: “We’d like to thank everyone who attended the Hollywood Ball for their generosity, as well as for the interest shown in the our project. We made some brilliant contacts and look forward to making sure we can put the money raised to the best possible use.”

He said: “There has been a wonderful response. All who have pledged their support were enthusiastic about the project. We really want to have plenty of people involved and there are roles in the coming months for everyone who want to play a part, even if they don't plan to come on the visit itself.”

For more information, please contact Rev Westwood on: 01922 419161 

Comments

[Linda]

When you consider that this night was in aid of a brand new appeal, with guests from a small local community and was the first time anything like this was attempted on their behalf, I think that it's absolutely brilliant to see the sum raised. Everyone I have spoken to about the night has told me what a time they had and asked when the next one will be! Good luck to Richard, Rose, Julie, Andy and everyone, you are an inspiration.

[Julie Tomkinson]

I would like to personally thank everyone who helped make the evening such a success and will gladly repeat the event in the near future.

It has been the most rewarding event I have had the pleasure of organising, however, I could not have done it without the help of my new, special friend, Carol.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank another good friend of mine our compere and auctioneer for the evening, Jane Dayus-Hinch. Fabulous as ever!!

What a fantastic performance Faye gave us, she has an amazing voice and is set for a wonderful career.

Thanks must also go to the sponsors of the evening and of course all of our guests...

Come on Carol lets get the next one booked!!!!

Julie Tomkinson xx