NORTHLEACH SUMMER BALL

The Summer Ball, held at the Westwoods Centre on 16th July, was more successful that we could possibly have imagined! 

Early in the evening, 91 people gathered in the garden to enjoy canapés and drinks, accompanied by music played by Gill and Gerry Hopkin.  This was followed by a hog roast supper, charity auction hosted by Philip Allwood, who did an outstanding job.  The evening concluded with dancing to the brilliant “Wishful Thinking”. The Westwoods Centre looked fantastic, decked out with the Marquee Liner, decorated with helium balloons in Help For Heroes Colours.

The Charity Auction included twenty-four lots generously donated by various local organizations.   We’d like to extend special thanks to Ultimate High in Kemble (www.ultimatehigh.co.uk) whose donation of an Extreme Aerobatic flight raised a massive £1000 alone!  Other top prizes included a night at the RAF Club donated by Duncan Turner, a tandem parachute jump with the Silver Stars Royal Logistics Corp at South Cerney (www.silverstars.me.uk), a day’s racing with Kim Bailey Racing (www.kimbaileyracing.com), a tour of Windsor House Stables (www.harrydunlopracing.com), a whole Organic Lamb from Steve Redman and a night at The Wheatsheaf Hotel.

Huge thanks for donations also go to WJ Castle, Fir Tree Falconry, Spheremania, The Sherborne Arms, The Red Lion, Martin Riley, John Mustoe, Shawn Mustoe, “Mushroom Paul”, The Cotswold Ice Cream Company (who also donated ice cream for the supper), The Cotswold Store, Pat Grassick, Helen Hall & Penny Woods, Gerald Hopkin and Essentially Me Artisan Perfumery.

The event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Brian Crossley at the Westwoods Centre, R&R Catering Supplies, Balloons Galore, The Crackling Pig and Stephen Eggerton at the Ox House Wine company (plus our wonderful helpers who came to set up and clear away on Sunday).

A photographer from Cotswold Life covered the event; and further photographs, taken by local photographer Heather Palethorpe, can be seen at http://www.chadwickphotography.co.uk – just go to the Client Area and type in the access code “helpforheroes”.  Contact Heather directly if you’d like any copies.

Due to everyone’s enormous generosity, we managed to raise a whopping £7500 for Help For Heroes.   So the final thank you is to everyone who attended for making it such a special evening!

Sian James & Caroline Hall, organisers