Charity ball in Ashley’s memory raises over £19K for Willow Wood

A glittering charity ball could become an annual event after its inaugural evening raised almost £20,000 for Willow Wood Hospice.

The impressive total was raised at The Ashley B Charity Ball, organised by Bryan Butterworth, John Havern and the team at Premier Events and Memorabilia. The event was held at the Premier Suite Lounge in Audenshaw earlier this year.

A cheque for £19,674.65 has now been formally presented to the hospice during a ceremony in its gardens.

Willow Wood Hospice expressed a “huge and heartfelt thank you” for the support, saying the generosity would make a “profound difference”.

The ball, held at the Corporation Road venue, was organised in memory of Bryan’s son, Ashley, who received end-of-life care at the Ashton-based hospice. For Bryan, the evening was both a tribute and a gesture of thanks.

“Our aim was to thank Willow Wood Hospice for the care they gave to my son Ashley in his final days with us,” he said. “They were amazing in the way they cared for him and for us as a family, so we wanted to raise awareness and as much money as we could to support the hospice.”

He also paid tribute to John Havern, adding that “none of this could have happened” without his support. More than 200 guests attended the event, including hospice staff, who received a standing ovation from the audience.

Tara Farren, Community and Events Fundraiser at Willow Wood Hospice, said: “It was a really moving evening and a true testament to the love people have for Ashley and their appreciation of the hospice. To see over 200 people come together and raise such a fantastic amount was incredible. We are so grateful to Bryan, John and everyone involved.

“We rely on the generosity of our community to fund around three-quarters of our annual running costs, so support like this makes a real difference in ensuring we can continue to provide specialist, compassionate care to people in Tameside and Glossop.”

Bryan now hopes The Ashley B Charity Ball will become an annual event, continuing to raise funds and awareness for the hospice.