You don't often get the opportunity to have a lot of fun and support a great cause at the same time, so I'm sure you'll be hopping mad to miss out on some March madness and help us raise some much needed funds for Cransley Hospice at the same time.

We're hosting a fancy dress ball, and with help from some generous friends donating their time and resources we already have a venue, a DJ, a photographer and the start of a very promising raffle draw. All we need now are 200+ people in silly clothes to make it a success. This means that all the proceeds from the tickets and raffle can go directly to Cransley Hospice.

You can get tickets for just £5 each, although if you wish to pay more for yours, we will of course be delighted to receive your donation towards the proceeds of the night.

Please come along, invite your friends, your family and your colleagues and join our party, give generously, have fun and feel good because you made a difference.

This event has been registered with the Cransley Hospice fundraising team. You can support the hospice directly by donating or buying things from their online shop on their web site.

Cransley Hospice
St. Mary's Road,
Kettering
NN15 7PW
Registered Charity Number: 1052867
http://www.cransleyhospice.org.uk/

You may be familiar with the work that Cransley, and other Hospices do. It's quite likely that in your lifetime you or a close family member may benefit from the palliative care they provide.

The team of specialist nurses, doctors and therapists based within Cransley Hospice provide a comprehensive service of care in North Northamptonshire to patients with illnesses for which cure may no longer be an option, be they in the Hospice itself, the local hospitals or in their own homes.

Whilst that sentence accurately describes their function, it doesn't really tell you what they do, or what it means to the patients and their family.

Before my Mum died last June, it became clear that the care she needed couldn't be provided at home nor effectively in a hospital ward environment. Consequently, Cransley Hospice found a space for her and she spent nearly 3 weeks in their care.

Cransley is a place where they help people, not statistics; where patients receive the care they require when they need it, not when it's convenient and where people can try to deal with the situation they find themselves in without being overwhelmed by the environment. They can retain their dignity when it could so easily be forgotten. It is a peaceful place where mum could spend time, precious and private time, with family and loved ones when there was so little left.

The support they provide and the benefits this service brings are too long to list, not just for the patients, but for those close to them as well. Whilst the NHS funds underpin what is required to run this facility, they aim to raise an extra £500,000 a year in charitable donations to sustain the level of care my mum received.

So please give generously and maybe we can help in a small way to maintain the work of this wonderful organisation in case any of us need it in future.

Tim

Being a Palliative Care Nurse in a hospice is about making a difference to patients and their loved ones at an extremely difficult time.

This can be anything from reading to someone, or listening to a relative, to symptom control and being with a patient as they reach the end of their life. There are many professionals and volunteers involved in ensuring a patient is as comfortable as possible within a friendly, supportive environment, from complimentary therapists, family work teams, to chaplains and doctors all working as a team.

The generosity of the public is imperative to this multidisciplinary care continuing at an exceptional standard, as a significant amount of hospice budget relies on fundraising and donations, which buys resources and employs staff.

This is why every penny raised counts!! This cause is close to many of our hearts so let's have a good night out and make a difference together.

Lisa

Lots of people have helped to put this event together, providing their services for free or a fraction of the price, so we can maximise the funds we are raising for Cransley Hospice. Thanks to all that have helped!

• Jason & Donna Hazelton and the team at Corby Masonic Complex
• Martin Parish of MP's Disco
• Stephen Frosi - For help with the event tickets
• Zixi Still Photography - For donating a percentage of photo sales made on the night
• VIP Party People in Corby - For help with event decorations

Thanks for the raffle donations so far...

• The Art Group - For canvas prints as raffle prizes
• Carlsberg - For tickets to see a Northampton Saints RFC match as a Raffle prize.
• Hampton by Hilton Hotel in Corby - For a nights stay as a raffle prize.
• Hands on Beauty and Amy & Mark Bradshaw for 2 x £25 Beauty treatment vouchers.
• Santa Pod Raceway for tickets for a family day out.

Please contact us by email at beinspired@sorted4.co.uk for any of the following:

• To pay by Bank Transfer or Cheque
• With questions about the event, including directions.
• If you would like to donate prizes for our raffle.
• To buy more than 10 tickets in one go

You can also contact any of the admins on the facebook event page.