W NEWS
L
AZURE CHARITY BALL
RAISES £30,000
CHARITY URGENTLY
APPEAL FOR MORE
VOLUNTEERS
Contact the Elderly, the only national charity solely
dedicated to tackling loneliness and isolation amongst
older people through face-to-face contact, is urgently
appealing for volunteers living in the Wirral to spare just
a few hours each month to help with the running of local
tea parties – and enjoy a cuppa and a cake themselves!
Luxury travel company - The Azure Collection, held its
annual charity ball last week, raising almost £30,000 for
four charities.
The ball was held at the Chester Grosvenor Hotel and was attended by
190 guests, many of whom came from Chester and the Wirral while
others travelled from as far away as the Isle of Man and London.
Four charities will benefit from the funds raised at this event. Amy &
Friends was founded ten years ago to June 2007 to support children
and families who suffer from the rare medical conditions Cockayne
Syndrome/TTD or related DNA repair disorders; the Hospice Of The
Good Shepherd provides palliative care for residents of Cheshire West,
Chester and Deeside; Claire House Children’s Hospice gives respite and
end- of-life care for children and young adults with life-limiting medical
conditions while The Clatterbridge Cancer Charity funds vital research,
equipment and support services that would otherwise be unavailable to
cancer patients, ranging from new innovations in cancer treatment to
fun days out for teenagers and wigs for patients affected by hair loss.
The charity aims to relieve the acute loneliness of isolated older people,
aged 75 and over who live alone, by organising free monthly Sunday
afternoon tea parties for small groups within local communities –
providing a regular and vital friendship link every month. Each older
guest is collected from their home by a volunteer driver and is taken
to a volunteer host’s home, where they join a small group for tea, chat
and companionship. While the charity has been able to launch groups
within The Wirral already, relatively low numbers of volunteer drivers
has meant that the groups are limited in the number of older people
who are able to join. The charity are hoping to recruit more volunteer
drivers who are able to collect older guests from their homes and
accompany them to the gathering each month, taking them safely
home again afterwards. Wirral residents interested in volunteering
for Contact the Elderly once a month as a driver can contact Prabina
Lord-Doyle, Development Officer on 0161 460 2950.
WIRRAL ARTS FESTIVAL
In line with the Hollywood Glamour theme of the charity ball, guests
were given the full red carpet treatment on arrival, and entered into the
spirit of the evening by sporting black ties and glamorous gowns.
Everyone was welcomed with drinks and music from the forty piece
Singme Merseyside Choir, which has supported the ball for the past
three years. An added sprinkle of magic was provided by magician, Iain
Moran. After a three course dinner, there was a live auction, with the
chance to bid for a selection of dream holidays to some of the word’s
most desirable locations, courtesy of The Azure Collection.
The evening closed with a performance by 4 piece band called The
Electric Idols, while everyone danced the night away.
Azure Collection MD Jayne O’ Gorman said ‘Huge thanks to everyone
who supported this very special event. It was a thoroughly enjoyable
evening and it’s a privilege to be able to help the four charities which do
such valuable work.’
The Wirral Arts Festival is an annual two week
celebration of a wide range of arts and related activities
for young and old which takes place across local venues
in the town of Heswall and on the Wirral.
Previously known as the Heswall Arts Festival, it is now in its 7th
year. The 2016 Festival showcased musicians, actors, artists and poets;
an arts trail, folk groups, scarecrows as well as the more conventional
performing arts. The Festival comprised more than 60 events that
brought together 400 performers and 5000 visitors. This year the
Festival will be held between 30th September and 14th October.
To find out more, visit www.wirralartsfestival.co.uk .
wirrallife.com 11