The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
Ball is ready to spread sunshine
Hi Sunshine News Readers,
We have had a very exciting meeting when we paid our friends at The Grand Hotel a visit to finalise plans for our Sunflower Ball which takes place in just TWO weeks!
With the food choices completed, we can safely say our guests are in for a treat and I must say that sampling the different options was a highlight of the event planning!
We talked through the room décor and the running order and everything certainly feels real now. We are so excited for what is set to be a fantastic event on March 15. Thank you to Jane Heath and her team at the hotel who looked after us, kept us well fed and for providing a wonderful venue.
The Sunflower Ball will be a celebration of our 95-year-old charity, giving us the opportunity to toast supporters old and new and celebrate the families of children with additional needs who we’ve supported with life-changing equipment.
The ball is in partnership with longterm supporters Eldon Square. We will hear from several speakers on the night, including families who will share their personal stories and journeys.
Cormac Hamilton, general manager of Eldon Square, is a guest speaker at the ball and when we spoke to him ahead of the event, he said, “We very much hope the ball raises muchdeserved funds to help children access specialised equipment that will make positive changes in their lives. By working together, we can achieve a lasting impact and create brighter futures for children in the North East.”
On the subject of themed events, we would like to give a shout out to Kyrie Cunningham and her team at One Collection Group, who are hosting a Sunflower Afternoon Tea in honour of our charity this month.
The event will take place at their 3SIXTY venue in the city centre. Tickets cost £29.95 and £1 from each ticket will go directly to us. To book your place, visit https://3sixtynewcastle.co.uk/.
We also heard from local organisation North East Sight Matters (NESM), who we funded with a bundle of equipment last year. The group went on a residential visit to The Sill over halfterm, and took some of this equipment with them. You can read more about their story, as well as three other families we supported last year, by visiting www.thesunshinefund.org/appeal.
It’s always lovely to hear how about the impact our work has had, but as the demand in equipment grows due to the cost-of-living crisis and cuts by local authorities, we continue to be under pressure to raise funds.
Black-tie events like our Sunflower Ball are vital to generate income and we have a plethora of prizes and experiences up for grabs in our charity auction and raffle. Prizes this year include luxury overnight stays, a celebrity meet and greet, VIP drinking and dining experiences and vouchers to a whole host of local attractions and venues.
But we also rely on smaller-scale challenges and events for more regular, sustainable funding.
We have already sold out for this year’s Great North Run but spaces still remain on our Hadrian’s Wall trek, a 13-mile walk in eight hours, exploring some of the region’s most iconic and historic landmarks along the way. Contact Amanda.keddie@thesunshinefund.org if you want to join us.
To keep up to date on upcoming events, visit www.thesunshinefund.org/get-involved and to see a range of local events you could join on behalf of our charity, visit www.thesunshinefund.org/other-events.
And contact Amanda.keddie@ thesunshinefund.org or drop us a DM on our socials to find out how you could organise your own fundraising event.
You can also help us generate regular, sustainable income and win something back by entering our weekly £1 lottery, where players have the chance of winning the national prize of £25,000, as well as monthly bonus prizes and a local prize pot.
Half of ticket costs go directly to us, and supporters have the option of keeping their winnings or donating back to the charity. This month, you have the chance of winning a Nintendo Switch Bundle, or a £1,000 cash prize. Sign up now at https://bit. ly/3wyqkbm.