Teesside Hospice is holding its first community celebration ball in Middlesbrough this September, with the idea shaped not by a corporate events calendar but by people whose families have experienced the hospice’s care.
Together We Care takes place at Bloom on Friday 18 September from 6.45pm until late. Tickets are £45 and include a two-course meal, welcome drink, live music from Last Anthem, live illustrations, guest speakers, games, raffles and a DJ.
A community idea with a personal beginning
The hospice says the event grew from conversations with supporter Beth Wheatland, whose family received support from Teesside Hospice after both of her parents died within a month of each other in 2017.
Rather than reproducing that experience as a fundraising slogan, the event is being framed as a space for people with different connections to the hospice to come together. That includes families who have received care, people who have fundraised or volunteered, those remembering somebody, and supporters who simply want to help keep local hospice services going.
Teesside Hospice says it costs around £20,500 each day to run its services. Fundraising events are one part of the wider mix that helps support care for people and families affected by terminal illness across Teesside.
More than a formal dinner
The evening is intended to mix fundraising with remembrance and community. Alongside the meal and entertainment, the programme includes stories from people connected with the hospice and opportunities for guests to spend time with others who understand what the organisation can mean during difficult periods in family life.
The event has also drawn practical contributions from supporters. Teesside Hospice credits local designer Lauren Woods of By Four Eyes Design with creating the event artwork after her own family received hospice support.
The North East Chamber of Commerce has independently listed the event and confirms the 18 September date, Bloom venue, £45 ticket price and community-led purpose.
Tickets and current booking information are available directly through Teesside Hospice. The organisation advises groups who want to sit together to book together where possible.