Thorpe Hall Hospice fundraisers hope to keep the ball rolling ahead of spectacular event

A pair of fundraisers hope to inspire more people to raise funds for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice after organising a sell out charity ball.
Emma CanhamEmma Canham
Emma Canham

People from local businesses will dust off their glad rags and come together for a glistening Snow Ball at the Black Horse in Baston in support of the hospice tomorrow.

The evening of glitz, glamour and goodwill is being organised by two big-hearted Deepings residents and business owners, Emma Canham and Paula Machin.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Emma and Paula want to celebrate the achievements and resilience of The Deepings business community since the start of the pandemic.

They are also hoping the ball will bring some Christmas cheer and vital funds will snowball for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice. It is a cause close to their hearts, as they have both had family members cared for at the Peterborough hospice.

The night of celebration, kindly sponsored by Devonports Kitchens and Bathrooms, The Deepings Caravan Park, Pet Stop and I’d rather be in Deeping, will kick off with drinks on arrival.

The guests, most of whom will hail from local businesses, will enjoy a delicious three-course dinner followed by dancing. There will also be a raffle and auction, with a variety of donated prizes up for grabs including a membership and personal training sessions at Market Deeping’s Empire Gym.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Organiser, Emma Canham, explained: “Paula runs the Pet Stop in Market Deeping. I have a dog and when I visited the pet shop, Paula and I would often chat about organising a celebration for local businesses. The past 20 months have been really tough for businesses – everyone has had to make changes and decisions and adapt to new ways of working. We thought it would be a great idea to get everyone together for some fun, let our hair down and kick-start a new era.

“Once we decided to go for it and organise the ball, we sat down with a cup of coffee and threw ourselves into planning. Within days, we had three main sponsors signed up and within a couple of weeks we had a welcome drinks package in place. People have been enthusiastic and supportive and we are really grateful.

“The majority of guests will be from local businesses in and around The Deepings. Paula and I love being around people and we are looking forward to coming together for a real celebration. I’m hoping to see plenty of people on the dance floor! A special thank you to our four main sponsors, Devonports Kitchens and Bathrooms, The Deepings Caravan Park, Pet Stop and I’d rather be in Deeping. Their kind support has meant we have been able to keep our ticket prices down.”

Tickets to the Snow Ball have now sold out, but Emma and Paula hope their story will inspire others to do their own fundraising for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We will do our absolute best to get people to dig deep on the night. This isn’t just a night out; people will be making a real difference to the hospice,” added Emma.

“Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice means a lot to Paula and I; my sister was cared for at the hospice in 2019 and Paula’s dad was cared for there about 12 years ago. My sister was only 46 years-old when she died. She was cared for at the hospice for four days and three nights, and I know how much that care and support costs. I’ll do my hardest to raise funds for Sue Ryder because that’s what my sister would have done. She always wanted to return the care and more, because there is always going to be another family that has to go through what my family went through. Many people across our local community have a connection to Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice – it is the only hospice in our area and we need to make sure we fundraise for it.”

Helen Kingston, Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, said: “At Sue Ryder we believe that the end of someone’s life is the most important time of their life. Our care teams do all they can to make room for the things that matter to a patient – like spending time with loved ones, sharing stories, jokes and memories, and filling their final days with love.

“It’s truly fitting that the Snow Ball will be helping to raise vital funds so someone can experience as much comfort and joy as possible at the end of their life, while creating special memories for local families this Christmas too. A huge thank you to Emma and Paula and everyone involved with the ball for their incredible support.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With figures showing every 4.5 minutes someone in the UK dies without the specialist end of life care they need, national healthcare charity Sue Ryder, which runs Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough, is asking people to back an appeal to help them be there for more families when it matters.

Donations to the appeal will enable Sue Ryder to deliver the expert and compassionate palliative care they are so well known for. Helping to manage symptoms as well as give advice on the practicalities, so that patients and their families can place their focus on filling their final days together with love.

For more information and to donate visit sueryder.org/careatchristmas