Hallmark Care Homes and Care England organised a Care Sector Fundraising Ball at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 29 September and raised a staggering £140,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK and The Care Workers Charity.
The fundraising event, hosted by Hallmark Care Homes Chair and Chair of Care England Avnish Goyal, featured a silent auction and received a donation of £20,000 from a guest who wished to remain anonymous.
Hallmark Care Homes agreed to match fund the pledges on the night with a further £50,000.
Thanking those who took part in the event, Goyal said: “We are absolutely delighted that we had a sell-out event and I would like to give a huge thanks to our lead sponsor CareTech and everyone else who supported the event by buying tables and giving so generously on the night.”
Tim Parry, director at Alzheimer’s Research UK, thanked Hallmark for its support of the charity's mission to bring about the first life-changing treatment for dementia. "The money raised will go a long way in helping to make breakthroughs possible, and we couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who donated," said Parry.
There are currently no treatments available to stop or slow diseases that cause dementia, but with "businesses like Hallmark Care Homes by our side, we can change this picture,” said Parry.
Alex Ramamurthy, chief executive of The Care Workers Charity, said: “I was blown away by the inaugural Care Sector Fundraising Ball. Hallmark Care Homes did a fantastic job organising the event and we raised a whopping £140,000 to be split between both charities. That £70,000 is going to allow us to test new preventative measures to support care workers pre-crisis, whilst also growing our grant giving.
CEO of CareTech Foundation, Jonathan Freeman said he looks forward to supporting the Ball in years to come.
“In the same way, as we rightly celebrate and cherish those staff working in the armed and emergency services and in the health service, we must now put care workers on the same level. The Care Sector Fundraising Ball is a hugely important step in recognising this, which CareTech plc and the CareTech Foundation are honoured to support,” he said.
The evening also saw guests enjoying a four-course meal and entertainment from Glam Slam who performed songs from The Greatest Showman, light show Feeding the Fish, party band Madhen, and comedy troupe The Noise Next Door.
