Joy as Gazette hospice appeal tops £268,000

Saturday night saw Trinity Hospice’s annual ball at The Tower Ballroom.

And the evening was a major call for celebration as the glitzy event raised a record £46,500 for both Trinity and Brian House Children’s Hospice.

It also gave Gazette editor Jon Rhodes the perfect opportunity to announce the final total for our Hospice Heroes appeal.

Over the last year we have been raising funds for a major revamp of both Trinity and Brian House, based in Bispham.

Through the kind-hearted fund-raising of readers we smashed our £200,000 target.

Today, the appeal total stands at an amazing £268,318.

Jon told the packed Ballroom: “Readers of The Gazette and residents of the Fylde coast have once again showed themselves to be the most caring, generous and kind-hearted people and I salute them.

“Through their efforts we smashed our £200,000 target in under nine months. And I am delighted to announce the Hospice Heroes grand 
total today stands at an amazing £268,000

“To raise a quarter of a million pounds shows the special place Trinity holds in the hearts of Fylde folk.

“It was a pleasure to help the wonderful staff at Trinity and Brian House achieve their dream. The whole team there are true Hospice Heroes.”

The appeal included many fund-raising feats such as Tower-to-Tower bike rides together with promoters Cuffe and Taylor donating £1 from every one of the 25,000 tickets sold for Rod Stewart’s Bloomfield Road gig in June.

Saturday’s ball was hosted by Coronation Street star Hayley Tamaddon, Dancing On Ice skater Dan Whiston and Radio Wave breakfast show presenter Hayley Kay.

It included a wonderful meal from Twelve@Thornton and a number of fund-raising raffles and auctions which saw the £46,500 raised.

The cash will be put towards the £7m annual running costs of the two hospices.

Blackpool FC legend Jimmy Armfield, Trinity’s president, and Fleetwood Town manager Graham Alexander joined the hundreds in attendance on the record-breaking night.

Trinity chief executive David Houston said: “I think everyone from Trinity and Brian House has been overwhelmed at the generosity of Gazette readers in helping us transform the hospice in recent months.

“Saturday’s ball was a celebration of how much we have achieved together, but also a useful reminder that the pressures on funding for both Trinity and Brian House will never go away.

“More than ever, we feel we are at the heart of the Fylde coast community. As a local charity we rely on the support of local people to keep our compassionate care free to those who need it, and every penny raised for us stays right here.

“The ball was an incredible event, attended by many of our nursing and support staff, our volunteers and trustees.

“On behalf of them I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped make it such a memorable night.

“Our focus now is on making 2015 one of our best years yet: it will be Trinity’s 30th anniversary and we are planning some special events to mark the occasion.”

Host Dan told The Gazette: “It was an honour for myself and Hayley Tamaddon to be invited again to host the event along with Hayley Kay.

“It’s always such a brilliant night and the fact more than £46,000 was raised is incredible. People really do dig deep to support Trinity and Brian House and I know their generosity is enormously appreciated.

“These amazing facilities would not be there if it wasn’t for the kind-hearted people who support them and so it’s lovely to be able to have an evening celebrating the fantastic work of the hospice and all their staff while also raising money.”