Member Article

North East businesses help raise £75k for disabled children

The Percy Hedley Foundation’s infamous Mistletoe Ball was held for the fifteenth time in the charity’s 70th anniversary year and raised an impressive £75,000 – bringing the total raised by the events to over £1million.

Eighty north east businesses supported the event through monetary and prize donations, hosting tables and sponsorship.

The main sponsors were care industry recruiters, Medsolve; facilities managers, Anchor Group Services; regeneration specialists, Hellens Group; transport provider, Hobans’ independent living specialist, Lenore; audio visual experts, Purple Productions; and healthcare recruiters, Standby Healthcare.

Held at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead hotel, 286 guests enjoyed a drinks reception, dance performance, three-course meal, tombola, raffle, auctions and dancing.

Special guests included ex-Percy Hedley pupil, three-time-paralympic-gold-medal-winner, Stephen Miller MBE and Dame Irene Hays of Hays Travel.

The £75,000 raised will fund new equipment, specialist facilities, educational programmes and employment schemes for the Foundation’s 650 children and young people.

Louise Horsefield, head of fundraising at The Percy Hedley Foundation, said: “We’ve been blown away by the support shown for the ball by the north east business community.

“This event is such an important night for us, not only to celebrate the amazing work we do every day but to raise vital funds to support our pupils, students and residents to have equal opportunities that enable them to live their best lives.

“Thank you so much to everyone who so generously supported the event.”

The Percy Hedley Foundation was founded in 1953 and has two schools, one college and four specialist residential care homes in the north east which support people with physical and learning disabilities reach their goals in life, as well as providing their families with support.

The 2024 Mistletoe Ball will be held on Saturday 23 November.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Percy Hedley Foundation .