Children’s hospice ball smashes fund-raising record

Organisers of the fifth annual Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice Snowman Spectacular Ball were delighted when more than £270,000 was raised on the night, smashing last year’s total of £221,600.

In one evening, the event raised enough to pay for 39 days of all the care services provided by the hospice, based at Poling, near Arundel.

More than 500 guests attended Saturday’s ball at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel and were treated to a packed evening of entertainment, featuring actress and Dancing on Ice star, Linda Lusardi in the role of the Snow Queen host,

welcoming guests to a spectacular ice palace ballroom.

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Linda was joined by other celebrity guests — her husband and Coronation Street actor Sam Kane, Julie-Ann Gilburt, artist to the stars, and Chestnut Tree House patrons, actress Julie Graham and footballer Paul Jones.

Linda Perry, director of children’s services, said: “We are all overwhelmed at the generosity and support for the hospice. The success of the evening was beyond our wildest dreams. Words cannot adequately express the gratitude of all of us at Chestnut Tree House to our fantastic guests, our sponsors the businesses and individuals who donated auction lots and prizes, the production team, the 90 staff and volunteers who worked so hard to make the ball such a sell-out success.”