Celebrities including John Henshaw, Jeff Banks, Sinead Moynihan and Corrie’s Debbie Rush attended Manchester’s Strictly ChildLine Ball and helped to raise a massive £32,000 for the NSPCC.
The stars turned out for the glamorous ball at The Lowry Hotel where Jeff Banks hosted an auction and raffle which alone raised an impressive £22,000. This is the sixth year the ChildLine ball has been held in Manchester and the most expensive lot of the night was a surprise donation from Jeff Banks himself which included exclusive hair and make-up by celebrity and royal favourite, Maggie Kent, as well as dinner at The Ivy in London with Jeff Banks and an overnight stay in boutique hotel SoHo.
John Henshaw, who is currently appearing in the Channel Four trilogy, Red Riding, and has appeared in some of the North West’s favourite comedies including Early Doors and The Royle Family, said: “It was a fantastic night and people were massively generous despite the current economic gloom. It was a real eye opener for me to hear more about the NSPCC’s work in Manchester and the north west. Without fantastic events like this the charity would not be able to continue to support so many children and young people – particularly through ChildLine and the NSPCC Helpline for adults. I would encourage everyone to give what they can because it all makes a difference for children.”
In keeping with the Strictly Come Dancing theme guests were treated to performances from local dance troupe, Stagecoach Didsbury. The 24-strong cast of dancers who are aged between nine and 16 years performed salsa, Latino and tango routines.
Local businessman Michael Josephson, Buying Director of Altrincham based company Stocks Ltd, was on the organising committee for the ball and said: “I’m so pleased all our hard work paid off and we smashed last year’s total of £25,000. It is so important that we continue to support ChildLine and the NSPCC at the moment because their services are often in greater demand during a recession.
“I would also like to publicly thank all the people and companies who generously donated prizes for our auction and raffle. It really made a difference in enabling us to make such a fantastic amount of money.”
Proceeds from this year’s event will go towards the recently launched Child’s Voice Appeal which aims to raise £2.7m in Greater Manchester so that the NSPCC’s vital helplines – including ChildLine - can answer many more cries for help. The funds will mean that nationally ChildLine volunteers will counsel 500,000 more callers every year and children will be able to choose how they access this help – by it by phone, online or by text.
Angela Capper, fundraising manager for the NSPCC said: “This money really will enhance the support we can offer to children and young people. When a child needs help, ChildLine and the NSPCC Helpline may be their only hope and we are determined that no cry for help goes unanswered.
“We know that children are often more vulnerable to abuse and cruelty when there is an economic downturn because poverty increases family tensions. So the demand for our services could be even greater than normal which means it’s absolutely vital for people to remain as generous as they can.”
Amongst some of the prizes on offer were a luxury £10,000 holiday for two in Zighy Bay, Oman, courtesy of Six Senses Hideaway and Qatar Airlines; exclusive weekend breaks at two of Manchester’s finest hotels; the complete set of limited edition Harry Potter books signed by JK Rowling; and two tickets to attend a 20th Century Fox film premiere in London with passes to the after show party.
Credit: Salford Online
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