A record amount of money was raised for a Worcester hospice, following an event that is widely acclaimed as one of the city’s most glamorous occasions.
More than £27,000 was raised for St Richard’s Hospice at this month’s Ladies’ Day at Worcester Racecourse.
The annual event saw hundreds of guests gather in all their finery to enjoy a day at the races.
The hospice hosted a marquee which was packed with more than 230 guests who enjoyed a delicious three-course meal, race card top tips, cream tea and a grand auction conducted by hospice patron and TV favourite Philip Serrell. The Swan at Whittington provided reception drinks.
The auction, raffle and money collected by hospice volunteers helped to raise funds for vital patient care – the most ever raised for St Richard’s at a Ladies’ Day event in its 16-year history.
A cheque for £3,000 was presented to the hospice by Jenny Cheshire, Executive Director on the day.
Jayne Sargeant, Fundraiser at St Richard’s, said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce our best fundraising effort at the annual Ladies’ Day event. We are truly overwhelmed by the generosity of local businesses and all those who spent the day with us.
“A big thank you to Worcester Racecourse, our sponsors Close Brothers Asset Management and volunteers from NPower and Tesco St Peters, as well as the hundreds of fabulous guests for making Ladies’ Day a really special fixture in the event calendar.”
Guests from Worcestershire and beyond enjoyed the chance to have a flutter on one of the seven horse races available on the day.
The hospice has worked with Worcester Racecourse to organise Ladies’ Day for 16 years – and, since its beginnings, the event has grown in success.
St Richard’s Hospice provides free specialist palliative and end of life care for patients living with life-limiting illnesses and supports their loved ones. Each year the hospice team supports more than 3,300 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.
The hospice strives to provide the best medical, practical, emotional and social support they can to help people live life to the fullest, as independently as they can, for as long as they can. They care for people with a range of illnesses including heart failure, Parkinson’s, and motor neurone disease as well as cancer.
St Richard’s is an independent charity and relies on donations for three quarters of its annual £8.8m income with the remainder from the NHS.
St Richard’s has launched the Build 2020 Appeal which aims to raise the final £1.4m needed to build a bigger hospice, enabling more patients and families to be cared for in Worcestershire. The total cost for expanding and redeveloping the existing building in Wildwood Drive, Worcester, is £5.3m.
For more information about St Richard’s Hospice visit: www.strichards.org.uk.
