Shropshire Star

Glamour and generosity raise over £3,000 for older persons' charity

An evening of sparkle, style, and spectacular generosity saw nearly 100 women gather for the annual Posh Frocks Ladies Charity Event, raising an impressive £3,036 for Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin.

By contributor Stuart Cox
Published
Last updated

Hosted at the Hadley Park Hotel in Telford on Friday, October 17, the sell-out event welcomed around 95 guests across 11 tables, all dressed to impress for a fun-filled evening in support of older people in the community.

The night began with a glamorous drinks reception, where guests had the chance to pose for professional photographs and purchase tickets for the highly anticipated raffle.

Following a delicious three-course meal with tea and coffee, the entertainment kicked off with an energetic performance from Sian Brennan-Todd and her cheerleading group. The performance wasn’t just for show - guests joined in, pom-poms in hand, to learn the lively routines themselves!

L to R, Kim Gilmour, Organiser, Posh Frocks and Julie Kaur, Jules Convenience, at the event.
L to R, Kim Gilmour, Organiser, Posh Frocks and Julie Kaur, Jules Convenience, at the event.

The generosity didn’t stop there. Guests had the chance to win one of 37 grand hampers in the raffle, while an exciting auction helped boost the fundraising total. One of the top prizes - a weekend for two at the Boat House Lodge - helped raise a significant portion of the £1,880 raised on the night.

Further contributions included £650 raised by Julie Kaur, Chair of Trustees at the local charity, through a raffle in her shop, Jules Convenience in Hadley. An application for a generous £500 match-funding donation from Sharon Gardner is currently in process.

Nearly 100 women gathered at the Posh Frocks event in Telford to raise money to support older people across Shropshire.
Nearly 100 women gathered at the Posh Frocks event in Telford to raise money to support older people across Shropshire.

The event was once again the brainchild of local organiser Kim Gilmour at Connect Marketing, who hosts the Posh Frocks event each year to support different charities. Her dedication, along with the bigheartedness of the guests and supporters, made the night a resounding success.

Kim said: “Once again, thanks to the generosity of those who donated hampers and bought raffle tickets, we exceeded last year’s fundraising effort. Our Posh Frocks charity events have now raised over £42,000 for local charities over the last 20+ years.”

This special evening was part of Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin’s 75th anniversary fundraising appeal, which aims to raise £75,000 to help combat loneliness amongst older people. The charity says that approximately 10,000 older people across Shropshire would describe themselves as ‘deeply lonely’ and they aim to tackle this through its befriending services, day centres and other activities.

Cheerleaders provided part of the entertainment.
Cheerleaders provided part of the entertainment.

To support Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin you can make a one-off or regular donation via their JustGiving page

If you would prefer to donate by cheque, it should be made payable to Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin and posted or hand-delivered to the charity’s office at Bellstone, Shrewsbury.

For more information about how to get involved in 75th anniversary or to get involved in a fundraising challenge, please email fundraising@ageukstw.org.uk or call 01743 233 123.

The event raised over £3,000 for Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin.
The event raised over £3,000 for Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin.