Glitter Ball raises £53,000 for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity

The annual event was staged on March 23 and the proceeds will be used to help sick babies, children and young people in Sussex.

Rockinghorse Children’s Charity returned to the prestigious Grand Brighton Hotel to host its annual Glitter Ball. It welcomed a total of 300 people to the spectacular event, including sponsors, guests, volunteers, and some of the NHS staff team from the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital.

As the charity’s biggest fundraising event of the year, Rockinghorse was thrilled to celebrate its achievements over the past year in what was a sparkling evening of fun and entertainment and, most importantly, the ball raised £53,000 to help fund a new and innovative Wellbeing Service based at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital.

This year’s ball wouldn’t have been possible without the support of generous sponsors. The headline sponsor for 2024 was The
Agora
Clinic, with co-sponsors: ILG,
Galloways
Accounting,
UnitedUs,
IT
Document
Solutions,
Creative
Pod,
Ridgeview
Wine
Estate,
The
Grand
Brighton,
Sussex
Business
Times
and
More
Radio.

The Agora Clinic has been a long-standing supporter of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, and this marked their second consecutive year as the headline sponsor. Dr Carole Gilling-Smith, CEO and Medical Director of The Agora Clinic, said: “As headline sponsors of this amazing fundraising event for the second year running, my entire team at The Agora Clinic have nothing but praise and admiration for the Rockinghorse Charity, who put on an unforgettable evening at the Brighton Grand.

“The Glitter Ball brought together an incredible community of like-minded people, united in their mission to bring some fun, joy and normality to the many babies, children and young adults experiencing illness through the creation of a wellbeing hub and the many activities within it.

“The emotional and psychological benefits of this project will be enormous, and not only felt by the children affected by ill health, but also by their parents and siblings. The project, as you heard on the night, is one I am deeply passionate about. Even better is knowing that

“One hundred percent of the money raised on the night is going straight to the cause!”

The incredible night was hosted by Rockinghorse Ambassador Macella Whittingdale, along with Sam Thomas, co-founder of County Business Clubs and a Trustee of the charity.

Guests enjoyed two performances from the talented young people of The Theatre Workshop, a wonderful set by the Alison David Band and were able to dance the night away thanks to DJ Kent Reynolds.

The new wellbeing service will offer a wide range of additional and alternative therapies that support doctors and nurses to care for children with a whole range of conditions. These sessions will help children understand and manage their condition and support them with their recovery, helping children get better, faster.

They will mean that sick children in Sussex have the world’s best care and support when they are unwell.

This underscores why the Rockinghorse Glitter Ball stands out as the charity’s paramount fundraising event of the year. This single event will create a lasting impact, providing invaluable support for children and their families throughout Sussex.

Donna Holland, Chief Executive of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, said: “This new service is the legacy of the Ball, the incredible support of everyone in the room and all our wonderful sponsors.

“This support, along with all the generosity shown by all the local businesses and individuals who donated all the prizes for our raffle and auction, mean that every single penny of the money raised will go directly to launching our new Wellbeing Service, helping the children and families that need it most.”

Dr Oli Rahman, Consultant Paediatrician at the Royal Alex and Rockinghorse Chair Person, said: “I was genuinely heartened to see how our local community came together to support their local charity which in turn improves the quality of care we provide for children and their families who attend The Alex and the Trevor Mann Baby Unit. We are very fortunate indeed to have such wonderful supporters!”

If you would like to support Rockinghorse Children’s Charity and the life-saving work it does, please visit – https://www.rockinghorse.org.uk/.

There are plenty of events in the pipeline that you can get involved in, or you can host a fundraising event. Any support or donation, big or small, will make a difference.