#ChallengeDerbyshire charity ball raises over £170,000
On Saturday 2nd February the iconic Devonshire Dome in Buxton hosted the second annual #ChallengeDerbyshire Charity Ball. The event was attended by nearly 500 guests and raised a staggering sum in excess of £170,000, taking the total amassed by the initiative so far to well over three quarters of a million pounds.
#ChallengeDerbyshire was formed in 2015 to support the three amazing end of life care charities in North Derbyshire; Ashgate Hospicecare, Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust.
David Hopkins, CEO of M Markovitz Ltd and Co-Founder of #ChallengeDerbyshire said on the night: “Excellent end of life care provided by our three charities should not be a ‘nice to have’ and with all three of our charities receiving barely 30% of the funds they need from government, it is essential that as local business owners and employers we play our part in helping to bridge that shortfall. We are very proud to cover the costs of running #ChallengeDerbyshire, meaning that every penny of every pound donated to our cause goes directly to providing end of life care by our three amazing charities.”
The fabulous evening, hosted by High Peak Radio’s Paul Jenner and Damian Senar, included a lavish four course dinner, live music from band Function Fever, as well as a fantastic guest performance from Derbyshire children’s choir Perfect Pitch, who continue to support #ChallengeDerbyshire, having themselves raised over £10,000 for the cause.
Caroline Morgan, who used the services of Ashgate Hospicecare and Blythe House Hospice when her husband Dean died, gave an emotional speech, saying, “People think of a hospice as a place of palliative care and death… I think of it as a place that gives life to those left behind. Your support is so vital, not just for the person with the illness or life limiting condition, but also for families like mine and for children left to cope with life after loss.”
Many local businesses contributed to the success of the evening and the event organisers expressed particular thanks to the University of Derby for their most generous support, which undoubtedly helped contribute to the incredible total raised.
Co-Founder Esther Wakeman went on to say, “Currently one in four families who need hospice care can’t get it, that’s about sixteen families a week across North Derbyshire. #ChallengeDerbyshire’s support is changing that and giving local people the choice to die at home, free from pain, with dignity and respect. Please help us be there for every family when they need us.”
David urged any people with business links to Derbyshire to consider lending their support to #ChallengeDerbyshire. For more information please contact Jennifer McBain on 01298 72021 or events@challengederbyshire.org.uk
