_.png){kind=logo}
Hi Sunshine News Readers,
We had a very exciting meeting as we paid our friends at The Grand Hotel a visit to finalise plans for our Sunflower Ball which takes place in just TWO weeks! And, most importantly, we had our menu tasting!
With the food choices completed, we can safely say that our guests are in for a treat and I must say that sampling the different options was a highlight of the event planning! We talked through the room décor and the running order of the night and everything certainly feels real now, and we are so excited for what is set to be a fantastic event on March 15.
Thank you to Jane Heath and her team at the hotel who looked after us, kept us well fed and for providing a wonderful venue.
The Sunflower Ball will be a celebration of our long-standing charity, giving us the opportunity to raise a toast to supporters old and new, and will ultimately celebrate the families of children with additional needs that we’ve had the pleasure of supporting with life-changing equipment as we commemorate our 95th anniversary. The ball is in partnership with Eldon Square, who are long-term supporters of The Sunshine Fund.
We will hear from several speakers on the night, including those who have been an asset to our charity over the years, as well as several families who will be able to share their personal stories and journeys with us on the night. Cormac Hamilton, the general manager at Eldon Square, is one of a few guest speakers at the ball.
We spoke to him ahead of the event and he said, “We are extremely touched to be partnering with The Chronicle Sunshine Fund's Sunflower Ball, for this significant event commemorating the 95th anniversary of this wonderful charity. We very much hope that it raises the much-deserved funds to help children access specialised equipment that will make positive changes in their lives.
"By working together, we can achieve a lasting impact and create brighter futures for children in the North East.”
While we’re on the subject of themed events… we would like to give a shout out to Kyrie Cunningham and her team at One Management Services who are spreading rays of sunshine by hosting a Sunflower Afternoon Tea in honour of our charity this month – and they’ve even added a themed cocktail to the menu! The event will take place at their 3SIXTY venue which is located in the city centre.
Tickets cost £29.95 and £1 from each ticket will go directly to us. For more information and to book your place, click here or head to their social media.
We also heard from local organisation, North East Sight Matters (NESM), who readers may remember from our end-of-year appeal in 2023. We funded the group a bundle of equipment costing £1,000, which has helped young people with visual impairments engage in the events that NESM put on, enhancing their experience and making activities more accessible.
The group went on a residential visit to The Sill over the half-term, and took some of this equipment with them. You can read more about their story, as well as 3 other families we supported last year, by visiting www.thesunshinefund.org/appeal.
It’s always lovely to hear how about the impact our work has had, but as the demand in equipment grows due to the cost-of-living crisis and cuts by Local Authorities, we continue to be under pressure to raise the funds needed to continue our support, and we can’t do it without our donors. Black-tie events like our Sunflower Ball are vital in generating income and we have a plethora of prizes and experiences up for grabs that guests will be able to bid on through our charity auction and raffle.
Prizes such as luxury overnight stays, a celebrity meet and greet, VIP drinking and dining experiences, plus vouchers to a whole host of local attractions and venues; our guests really will be spoilt for choice. However, it’s also smaller-scale challenges and events and external fundraisers that we rely on for more regular, sustainable funding.
We have already sold out for this year’s Great North Run and participants are already showing enthusiasm which is amazing. Spaces still remain on our Hadrian’s Wall trek which will see challengers complete a 13-mile walk in eight hours, exploring some of the region’s most iconic and historic landmarks along the way. If you would like to join us, please contact Amanda.Keddie@thesunshinefund.org now!
To keep up-to-date on upcoming events, visit www.thesunshinefund.org/get-involved. To see a range of local mass participation events you could join on behalf of our charity, visit www.thesunshinefund.org/other-events. Contact Amanda.Keddie@thesunshinefund.orgor drop us a DM on our socials to find out how you could organise your own fundraising event for us.
You can also help us generate regular, sustainable income and win something back by entering our weekly £1 lottery, where players have the chance of winning the national prize of £25,000, as well as monthly bonus prizes and a local prize pot. 50% of ticket costs go directly to us, and supporters have the option of keeping their winnings or donating back to the charity.
This month, you have the chance of winning a Nintendo Switch Bundle, or a £1,000 cash prize! Sign up now at https://bit.ly/3WYQkbm.
Thanks for reading,
Sophie X
Comments