Rat Pack’s Spa show raises £9,000 for St Catherine’s
Sell-out performance surpasses hospice supporters’ wildest dreams
Fundraisers hit the high notes while bringing in the notes for Saint Catherine’s when they took the glamour of Vegas to Scarborough Spa.
The event was such a hit that loyal hospice supporters from Burniston and Cloughton have now presented the hospice with £10,510, most of it raised at their sell-out Rat Pack show.
The group, which first formed over a pint of beer in a Cloughton pub, had already raised a huge sum for the hospice when members decided to take their village hall show to Scarborough’s big time.
They took the plunge and booked the Spa hoping they’d raise enough to at least cover their costs. But what happened next far surpassed their wildest dreams.
So many people bought tickets that they had to increase the number and open the balcony to let in more. The result was around £9,000 raised for Saint Catherine’s in a single night.
One of the organisers, Paul “Soggy” Mintoft, said that they had been stunned by the success of the event.“I didn’t think it would do anything like it did,” he said. “I feel humbled by it but also immensely proud that a village can produce people willing to do what they’ve done to help others.”
Musical director Will Oseland said that the Rat Pack, backed by King Willy’s Big Band, had already enjoyed an amazing year.
“I can’t believe how well we’ve been supported,” he said. “The whole evening at the Spa was surreal, I was on a complete high afterwards thinking of what we’d achieved.”
Also there to hand over the cheque was Dawn Readman whose husband, Mick, a Cloughton blacksmith, inspired the fundraising for Saint Catherine’s.
He raised £10,000 for the hospice in a day during the time he was ill and the fundraising continued following his death in 2007.
Among many events held in his memory is a memorial cricket match which still happens each year. The £10,500 cheque presented to the hospice included around £1,600 raised at this year’s event.
Dawn said she felt very proud that something Mick had inspired continued to do so much good for others.
“It’s amazing, absolutely amazing,” she said.
The Rat Pack will be performing on 18 and 19 December in Burniston Village Hall. Tickets cost £10 and will go on sale around mid-November.