Places open for summer ball

SUE Ryder is planning a summer ball to raise much needed funds for the charity.

The event will feature a drinks reception, a thre- course meal, a charity auction, and live music from the Vodka Martinis.

It will also be hosted by local comedian Adger Brown, and will take place on Saturday,

July 2, at the Hilton Hotel, Reading.

Fern Haynes, Sue Ryder’s head of fundraising for Thames Valley, said: “The past couple of years have been challenging for our patients but also their loved ones.

“By attending our Summer Ball you will be helping local people get the vital support they need at what is a really difficult time.

“The funded post will support families who have experienced the loss of a loved one.”

The family support coordinator oversees two family support teams, made up of professionals and trained volunteers who provide palliative care, social care, spiritual care, and bereavement support.

The role is currently held by Ken

Blanton, who works across both the Duchess of Kent Hospice in Reading and the Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire in Wallingford.

Mr Blanton said: “Experiences of grief have been so difficult for so many people over the past two years amidst the pandemic, but here at Sue Ryder we have continued to reach out to local families offering our support.

“It is so important we remind people that grief doesn’t have one face and although everyone handles loss and bereavement in different ways which are unique to them, everyone hurts and it is so important people have the opportunity to be able to talk about it.”

The ball takes at the Hilton Hotel, Reading, on Saturday, July 2, from 7pm.

Tickets including three course meals for a table of six are £420, for tables of 10 are £700, and for tables of 12 are £840. Individual tickets are also available at www.SueRyder.org

For more information, email special.events@sueryder.org or call 07976422792.