Saturday 14 November, the Lancaster, London Welcome
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SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER, THE LANCASTER, LONDON WELCOME I am often asked what makes a Special Day The Willow Ball means so much to us special? What is it about this one day that means both. Every other activity throughout so much to so many? It is impossible to provide a the year centres around sport, single response. Each Special Day is a bespoke comedy or art but the Ball always experience tailor-made to meet the beneficiary’s brings us back to the core of Willow needs so its meaning and its impact is totally unique and our Special Days. This is where to them and their loved ones. Tonight we aim to our hearts and minds are always highlight just a few of the reasons why a Special focused. We read the thank you Day sparkles. Individual testimonies can be read in letters from our beneficiaries, we see this programme and feature in tonight’s activities. their photographs and we share their And, if you are left in any doubt, Doun, the husband experiences. Life is unfair, young of one of our beneficiaries, Ting, joins us this evening adults should not have to live with to share her Special Day story and introduce more the difficult realities of life threatening Special Day stories in our new Willow film. illnesses. But, while they do, Willow will be here to provide a little normality, a day of joy and a bank of positive memories for them Willow is the only national charity offering quality of life and quality of time and their families through our Special Days. Thank you for helping us through Special Days for those living with serious illness within the 16 to 40 age to provide that ‘sparkle’. Have a fantastic evening. range. Demand for Special Days continues to grow. This year we will fulfil more than 1,000 Special Days and by 2018 we aim to increase our service to 2,000 Special Days per annum. Your support could never be more valuable in making this aim a reality. We wish you a very enjoyable evening. Thank you for joining us this evening at our flagship event of the year. Thank you for helping to make so many Special Bob Wilson OBE & Megs Wilson Days happen and thank you on behalf of all those who will benefit from your Life Presidents generosity tonight. Please do get in touch if you can help with Special Days through your connections with the hospitality industry, West End theatres and elite sport or if you would like to get involved with our events and activities, hold your own fundraiser or have an idea which will David White support our promotional and fundraising activities. Contact details Chief Executive are at the back of this programme. As a seriously ill young adult the normality whi“ ch we can take for granted is special. While you enjoy yourselves this evening and at other Willow events throughout the year, please give generously to help create the Special Days that bring normality to seriously ill young adults aged sixteen “to forty. Have a most enjoyable evening. Duncan Sinclair is the Willow Ball’s headline sponsor. We would like to thank Duncan for his continued support of and enthusiasm for our work and welcome him and all of his guests this evening. 1 MAKING MEMORIES R H O y E P E g family time C r Smiles O e THE CHILDREN N n SMILING holding hands N e E S forget about hospitals C What makes a Special Day sparkle?... S T E normality QUALITY TIME I N N G I P BEING TOGETHER P Living TIME TO RELAX laughter A H BEING MYSELF AGAIN FUN #WillowBall CONTENTS ORDER OF EVENTS Welcome ................................................................................................................01 18.45 Pre-dinner drinks reception Order of Events ......................................................................................................05 19.30 Call for dinner Ting’s Story ..............................................................................................................07 20.00 Tenors Un Limited Menu .......................................................................................................................09 20.10 Welcome by hosts Thank you for making Special Days sparkle .......................................................10 20.45 Let’s Drift Raffle .......................................................................................................................13 Entertainment .........................................................................................................14 21.55 Mary Nightingale, Willow Ambassador Special Days ...........................................................................................................18 Doun Choi, Special Day Beneficiary Main Auction ..........................................................................................................21 Bob & Megs Wilson, Willow Life Presidents Willow Events 2015/16 ...........................................................................................29 22.10 Live Auction hosted by Andrew Castle How to Bid ..............................................................................................................33 22.55 Silent Auction closes and Raffle draw and presentation Silent Auction .........................................................................................................34 Special Days ...........................................................................................................44 23.00 Hot Chocolate How you can help .................................................................................................45 00.05 Announcement of funds raised Thank you ...............................................................................................................47 00.10 DJ - Sterling Moss Willow ......................................................................................................................48 01.05 Last dance 01.30 Carriages Willow, Gate House, Fretherne Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire AL8 6NS T 01707 259 777 F 01707 259 289 E [email protected] willowfoundation.org.uk Registered Charity Number 1106746 4 5 THE MOST WONDERFUL GIFT Tonight you’ll meet Doun whose wife Ting had a Special Day LQ 7RJHWKHU WKH\ IDFHG WKH YHU\ GLIÀFXOW UHDOLW\ RI KHU incurable cancer diagnosis but for Ting her simple wish was to be able to go on one more real date. These are her words. We married in 2011 and our lives seemed perfect. Just weeks later, I suffered debilitating back pain and loss of sensation in “my legs. We were shocked when scans showed a large tumour on my spine, a malignant high grade osteosarcoma – a rare DQGGLIÀFXOWWRWUHDWFDQFHU I had surgery almost immediately but the tumour returned and was now inoperable. The little hope that I’d had evaporated DQGE\-XQH,ZDVFRQÀQHGWRDZKHHOFKDLUDQGGRFWRUV said I might only have months to live. $W ÀUVW , WKRXJKW VXFK D OLIH ZDV QRW ZRUWK OLYLQJ +RZHYHU memories of all the happy times kept me going. When the hospice told me about Willow, I was excited. My paralysis meant getting out was a struggle and our wish was simply to be able to have a date in a nice restaurant. We chose to go to the world famous Fat Duck and it was the most romantic and memorable meal in years. :KDWPDGH\RXU6SHFLDO'D\6SDUNOH" The experience left me with wonderful memories. But the greatest gift? Doun has been my carer, cook, physio, nurse, %HLQJKXVEDQG driver and shoulder to cry on, and seeing him relax and smile IRUWKHILUVWWLPHLQ\HDUVZDVWKHPRVWZRQGHUIXOJLIW DQGZLIHDJDLQ 7LQJ2VWHRVDUFRPD” 7 MENU Poached Brixham Dover sole fillet, smoked salmon mousse, Spinach, steamed leeks and Champagne sauce Warm red onion and Somerset brie tart With roasted cherry tomatoes and basil pesto (V) *** Roast fillet of West Country beef, dauphinoise potatoes. Spinach with fresh horseradish, roasted carrot, edamame beans and rich claret sauce Cannelloni of mushroom and ricotta with Portabello mushroom, caramelised baby onion and balsamic cream (V) *** Chocolate fondant served with a raspberry sorbet And raspberry compote *** Coffee with after dinner chocolates and jellies We would like to thank the team at Oliver Bonas for their most generous donation of the ladies gifts tonight. 9 THANK YOU FOR MAKING SPECIAL DAYS SPARKLE 7,032 hours have been given to Willow by Everyday we work to create unique and original Special Days for seriously ill young adults across the UK. Days that add a little sparkle and shine during our fantastic volunteers to help the difficult times, days that can reconnect families and friends, provide a little normality and create memories to treasure forever. To date, Willow has team both in the office and out. arranged more than 11,500 Special Days for seriously ill 16-40 year olds. Not one of those would have been possible without you. Our fundraisers, donors, supporters, event attendees, marathon runners, ambassadors and corporate partners make all of this possible. So our thanks goes out to you all, for helping to add a little sparkle to the lives of those most in need. 56,524 1,020 miles have been covered by Willow unique Special Days have been supporters this year. That’s more than arranged for seriously ill young twice around the world! adults in the last year. 6,351 284 event attendees have supported events have been held in Special Days at Willow Events and third support of Willow throughout party events throughout 2015. the last year. 10 11 Tickets £20 RAFFLE Go home tonight with added sparkle We are delighted to offer an 18 carat white gold Lozenge shape drop pendant as first prize in this evening’s raffle. Valued at £4,500 the pendant is encrusted with 269 diamonds set in circular