Businesswomen join forces to fundraise for Brian House

Two businesswomen have proved two heads are better than one as they joined forces to organise an afternoon tea and pamper afternoon, raising £1,880 for Brian House Children's Hospice.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Jul 2018, 15:35 BST
Updated 24th Jul 2018, 15:37 BST
Rachel Ratcliffe and Melissa Toland have raised money for Brian House Childrens Hospice with Yummy Time for You  a ladies pamper and cream tea event. CREDIT NSpire PhotographyRachel Ratcliffe and Melissa Toland have raised money for Brian House Childrens Hospice with Yummy Time for You  a ladies pamper and cream tea event. CREDIT NSpire Photography
Rachel Ratcliffe and Melissa Toland have raised money for Brian House Childrens Hospice with Yummy Time for You  a ladies pamper and cream tea event. CREDIT NSpire Photography

Melissa Toland, owner of Time for You massage therapy, and Rachel Ratcliffe of Rachel’s Yummy Scrummy Cakes, combined their expertise to put on Yummy Time For You – a women’s only fundraising event with cream tea, beauty treatments and boutique shopping at The Village Hotel, Blackpool.

The afternoon has been hailed such a success and the pair has been asked to make it an annual event.

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Melissa said: “We’ve never organised anything like this before, and it was absolutely amazing. Ladies were queuing to come in and they had made such an effort. Everyone was smiling, and it was just lovely.”

Rachel and Melissa met at a Pink Link networking event and had always spoken of collaborating in aid of a local charity. It was when Janet Atkins, fundraiser for Brian House, was a guest speaker at a Pink Link meeting they decided to go for it.

“Janet spoke about the Fylde Coast £50 Challenge and it just snowballed from there,” Melissa said.

“We pulled in people who we know through our business connections, and were able to offer all sorts of treats, from brow-shaping and make-up tutorials to card readings, clothes and jewellery.

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“We set ourselves an ambitious target, but we absolutely smashed it.

“We are so delighted to have been able to raise so much for Brian House, and honestly can’t believe how generous people are. We had businesses from across the Fylde coast who donated some amazing raffle prizes, and our ladies were certainly happy to take part and donate what they could.”

The Fylde Coast £50 Challenge is an invitation for businesses to raise as much money as possible for Brian House Children’s Hospice or Trinity Hospice, using a £50 starter fund.

Janet, who looks after corporate supporters of Brian House and Trinity Hospice, said: “Yummy Time For You was a wonderful success, which will go a long way in helping us to provide specialist care and support.”