First Shimmer Ball raises more than £18,000 for St Clare Hospice

St Clare Hospice’s first ever Shimmer Ball raised more than £18,000 for the charity based at Hastingwood, near Harlow.

More than 100 guests enjoyed fine dining and entertainment from The Muggabees and Ben’s Magic at Down Hall Hotel in Hatfield Heath.

There were also live and silent auctions with lots including sporting memorabilia, vintage wines and weekend breaks.

Samantha Taylor, a clinical nurse specialist, was guest speaker and told revellers: “When people ask me what I do for a living and I tell them I’m a community palliative care nurse with St Clare Hospice, quite often I get a response such as ‘I don’t know how you do that job, isn’t it sad all the time?’

“Although I understand this response, and, of course, at times it’s incredibly sad, my days are often filled with joy, hope and witnessing the very best of love. It is so hard to encapsulate everything we do at St Clare.

“I feel I’m so lucky and privileged that I get to meet so many amazing and inspirational people every day, from all different walks of life, at different stages of their journey.

“The whole ethos of St Clare is that if it’s important to you, it’s important to us. I feel very privileged to work for an organisation that will try its hardest to say ‘yes’. We strive to individualise the care we provide for our patients, as we know that one size does not usually fit all.”

Organiser Katy Woodgate said: “Our Shimmer Ball was a hit, with over £18,000 raised on the night which could pay for our community palliative care team for a week. It would cover the cost of the team to visit patients and their families at home and advise them on how to manage complex symptoms themselves.”