Since 2020, my wife Sylvia and I have organised an annual fundraising night at Elm Road Workingmen’s Club to raise money for charities who provide relief and respite for Muscular Sclerosis sufferers in this area in memory of our son, Jason, writes Alan Ellwood.
In 2020 we raised £5,000 for the Butterwick Hospice which has a day care centre in Bishop Auckland, benefitting those with a wide range of illness who need physiotherapy and other treatments not available from the NHS. For MS sufferers for instance, if they cannot stand unaided, they cannot receive physiotherapy. Bishop Auckland Butterwick provided such a service and much more!
In 2021 we raised £200 for the Weardale branch of the Muscular Sclerosis Society, who also provide services including physiotherapy to those not able to access NHS provision.
Again, in 2022 we raised a further £2,000 for Weardale MS Society, and we hope this year to raise a further amount thanks to the generosity of people in this area and local businesses.
The fundraiser takes place on Saturday 21 October from 7pm in Elm Road Club and features Travelin’ Band, a well known multi-talented group playing live music from the 60’s to modern times. There will also be a disco, a grand raffle with lots of great prizes, and a tombola. We need donations, which could be raffle prizes, vouchers or money, no matter how large or small – every little helps!
Examples of welcome donations are: unopened items such as gift sets; a small food hamper; hairdressing voucher; butcher’s voucher; and just about anything else as long as it’s new and unused.
Past donations have been received from Morrisons, Asda, Tesco, Elm Road Club, Ruffles Hair Salon, Forget Me Not Flowers and from generous members of the public.
We can collect any donated items in person. Please telephone 01388 776091 or 07707 828894 to arrange collection – or they may be left at 9 Westerdale Gardens, Shildon.
All up front costs, including payment of the band and disco are paid for by Sylvia so that every penny raised will go to the local MS charity benefiting our population in our area.
Tickets for the event cost just £6 and are available from various outlets around the town
The last three events have been a sell out, so get your ticket early!
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
