More than 500 people across the North-east have helped raise over £107,000 profit for Charlie House by attending its annual Big Build Ball on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at P&J Live.
The impressive total is made up of the event’s ticket sales and fundraising through evening entertainment.
Supported by principal sponsor, Brimmond, the celebration is Charlie House’s flagship event of the year and aims to raise vital funds for its Big Build Appeal - an initiative to build a much-needed support centre for children and babies with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions in the North-east.
Hosted by Alex Fleming, the 2023 event featured a carnival theme, transporting guests to a world full of spectacle and wonder while also incorporating real-life family stories to raise awareness of how the charity helps the local community.
On the night, Emma Beattie, who is a mum supported by Charlie House, took listeners on a journey to engage and educate on how it has significantly helped her family through emotional guidance, advocacy and information, and also unlocked incredible opportunities for her family to make precious memories together.
Moving the audience, the speech concluded with all supported families at the event standing with photos of their children, inspiring guests to pledge towards the Big Build Appeal, which has been reflected in this year's total sum.
John Brebner, CEO at Charlie House said: “The Big Build Ball is a key event in our annual calendar and tying in real-life stories made it all the more special.
“We’ve been launching a different family story every few weeks, with the Beattie family being the final one. To hear from Emma first-hand was a powerful moment that inspired guests and we’re incredibly grateful to Emma and our other families for sharing their journey and to the audience for digging deep and donating to our cause.
“On behalf of everyone at Charlie House, I’d also like to express thanks to our principal sponsor, Brimmond, and all our other supporters for making this event possible.”
For the event’s entertainment, renowned party band MADHEN returned from previous years to get guests dancing, while entertaining groups Mark Cameron Dance and Guarana Street Band, along with Portuguese-born singer and guitarist, Sergio Prazeres, brought high-energy samba music to the night, emphasising this year’s theme.
Attendees also had the opportunity to win a variety of lavish prizes thanks to the event's live auction, silent auction and tombola, which saw a Toshiba Android TV, Mulberry handbag, two-week villa stay in Florida and a luxury short break in the heart of the Cairngorms being won.
Tom Murdoch, managing director at Brimmond said: “It is an honour to not only sponsor this prestigious annual event, but to be a long-term supporter of Charlie House.
“Brimmond has supported the charity since 2019 when there was a unanimous staff vote to create a partnership, and four years on we are all determined to support the campaign to build a dedicated facility for families across the North-east.
“We are honoured to be in a position where we can play a very small part in making a big change, and we hope that other businesses across the region will get behind the campaign to raise the remaining funds to make the dream of a local facility a reality.”
The generous contributions of guests, sponsors and supporters have significantly increased the Big Build Appeal’s current total which is currently sitting at more than £5m. With a target of £8m to reach, the charity also introduced its Buy a Brick campaign in 2022, an initiative with various fundraising streams to make contributions feel more achievable.
