insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 06 - August 2015 | Page 91

CHARITY

CHESTNUT TREE HOUSE AND DREAMFLIGHT PARTNERED FOR A
FANTASTIC HICKSTEAD DRESSAGE GALA BALL
This July, charities Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice and
Dreamflight partnered to raise funds at the All England Jumping Course,
Hickstead. Guests enjoyed a Champagne reception, 3-course dinner, live
music and auction, and raised over £3,000 for the two charities.
Chestnut Tree House provides specialist palliative care to children
in East Sussex, West Sussex and South East Hampshire. The hospice
provides support for the whole family, offering psychological support,
respite care and sibling support, end of life care and support following
bereavement.
Dreamflight is a UK charity that takes children aged 8-14 with a
serious illness or disability on their 10-day ‘holiday of a lifetime’ to the
theme parks of Orlando. Each year 192 children from across the UK take
part, and are looked after by a large team of volunteers, including doctors,
nurses and physiotherapists. The next trip will take place 17-27 October
2015.
The Hickstead Dressage Gala Ball was hosted by Juice FM presenter
and Chestnut Tree House Patron Ambrose Harcourt and Natasha Baker
MBE, double Paralympic medallist and Dreamflight Patron. Natasha said,
“I was thrilled to be invited to the Hickstead Dressage Gala Ball to show
everyone my wonderful horse Sooki and be a part of this fun event. I was
lucky enough to go on Dreamflight when I was younger and it was a real
turning point for me personally.”

Linda Perry from Chestnut Tree House and Clare Baker from Dreamflight with
their teams for the evening, © Graham Franks Photography

The All England Jumping Course, Hickstead is proud to be
supporting Chestnut Tree House and Dreamflight this year and for many
years to come.

THOUSANDS RAISED AT CHARITY CHARLESTON

© Chris Demott Photography

© Chris Demott Photography

Guests were taken back in time for a 1920’s themed fundraising evening at
the Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel in June. The annual Mid Summer Ball
in aid of the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People and Rockinghorse
Children’s Charity, raised over £100,000.
Money was raised on the night via a number of fundraising initiatives
for the two beneficiary charities, including a heads and tails game, a
selection of giving trees and an auction which saw a bespoke meal for
10 people by Gingerman restaurant founder Ben McKellar go for £8,000.
Hosted by Danny Pike from BBC Sussex, guests enjoyed a sparkling
drinks reception, three-course meal with wine as well as after-dinner
entertainment by big band Straight No Chaser as well as enjoying the
infamous indoor dodgems.

The auction alone raised over £40,000 for the DM Thomas Foundation
for Young People – which helps disadvantaged and vulnerable young
people and children in Brighton and across the UK, and Rockinghorse – the
official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and a vital
supporter of the Trevor Mann Baby Unit in Brighton.
To find out more about Rockinghorse and the work they do to support
sick children and their families in Sussex, visit www.rockinghorse.org.uk. To
find out more about the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People and the
work they do across the UK, visit www.dmthomasfoundation.org.

SWIMMERS WANTED FOR THE SALTWATER SPLASH
Local hospice, The Martlets, are launching their latest fundraising
challenge, the ‘Saltwater Splash’ a sponsored sea-swim, to help raise vital
funds for their work.
The hospice are looking for keen swimmers to take up the challenge,
and already a team of daring District Nurses have signed up, and will be

on the beach with the Martlets team to encourage others.
The event itself takes place on Sunday 30th August, from Brighton
Beach’s Yellowave Sports Venue. More information on the event can be
found at www.themartlets.org.uk/seaswim.

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