Glitz and glamour comes to Wootton Bridge

After nine months of organising and many sleepless nights, a charity ball on the Isle of Wight was a huge success.

Organised by Southern Co-op’s Funeralcare in Ryde, it was the first time the team had held a ball and the grand total raised was just under £1,300.

The glamourous event at The Lakeside Hotel saw 50 people attending dressed in their best dresses and suits where they were treated to special three-course meal, dancing, an auction and a raffle.

The event on 22 September was in aid of the Phoenix Project as part of Southern Co-op’s community engagement programme ‘Love Your Neighbourhood’.

The Phoenix Project is a specialist day service for adults with learning disabilities based in Haylands in a fully accessible building set in large grounds.

Lesley Borton, Southern Co-op’s Funeral Co-ordinator at the Ryde funeral home, said: “This is the first time we have held a ball and it took an awful lot of organising.

“We both like to dress up so it seemed a perfect event to hold because most ladies like an excuse now a days to be able to go all out for a special occasion. We did have a lot of sleepless nights over it but got there in the end.

“We are so grateful for everybody’s support. To have raised so much money for such a deserving charity is really special.”

The charity ball was such a success that they have already booked it in again for 2019 on Saturday 7 September.

The Phoenix Project is the funeral home’s chosen cause as part of Southern Co-op’s community engagement programme ‘Love Your Neighbourhood’. This initiative addresses four key social themes for promoting: ‘Greener’, ‘Healthier’, ‘Safer’, and ‘More Inclusive’ neighbourhoods.

Click here to find out more about the Love Your Neighbourhood scheme.