Last week Black Country businesses came together to show their support for their local hospital and community services charity and raised a whopping £16,500.
The Dudley Group NHS Charity, part of The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, hosted their iconic annual Glitter Ball on Thursday 16th November 2023 at the Copthorne Hotel in Dudley. Gathering local businesses together, the evening offers the opportunity for attendees to raise funds for the charity and also network with other like-minded Black Country businesses.
The event was kindly sponsored by Mitie, Summit Healthcare, How to find a Care Home and Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology.
Steve Johnson, head of projects at Mitie said, “It has been a glamourous night here in Dudley for such a fantastic cause. There were some really passionate speakers, with compelling stories that I myself personally related to, particularly around palliative care. The attendance shows how all parties involved with the Trust are committed to providing the best service and care they can for the patients”.
Guests were treated to a wonderful evening of entertainment including welcome drinks and a two-course meal, as well as live music from Abba Legacy. They had an opportunity to hear from the Trust’s chief executive Diane Wake and Dr Richard Alleyne, who spoke about his work in palliative care and the vital role the Trust Charity plays in supporting patients in end of life care at Dudley.
In addition, guests also heard from Billy Spakemon, a well-known local Black Country busker who has raised over £43,000 for the charity to date.
Head of fundraising for The Dudley Group NHS Charity, Nithee Patel, said, “It has been a pleasure organising this event for the past three years. We heard from some amazing speakers last night who highlighted the importance of donations to our charity and its services. We are very thankful to all our sponsors and businesses who attend the evening, without them the event would not be possible.”
Neil Thomas, chief executive, and principle at Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology said,” Dudley College has been working with the Trust in an educational capacity for a long time and that is how we discovered and were introduced to the charity.
“We have a huge community with over 12,000 students and 800 staff and those people will likely be touched by the incredible work being done at The Dudley Group at some stage in their lives. We look forward to seeing how we can build on this collaboration and become an even bigger supporter of The Dudley Group NHS Charity.”
Many businesses and their teams celebrated their Christmas parties this year whilst giving back to a vital cause. The event managed to raise an amazing £16,500 which included some generous donations to raffle and auction prizes.
Diane Wake, chief executive for the Dudley Group added, “Meeting local businesses here at the Glitter Ball is a brilliant opportunity to share stories and strengthen our relationships within our local community. We have been overwhelmed by the amazing support that has been shown this evening, further cementing the wonderful work of our charity.”
The funds raised will support the Charity’s patient and staff wellbeing fund.
