Afternoon tea and fashion show raises thousands for Hartlepool hospice services

A tasty £6,000 was raised for Hartlepool & District Hospice thanks to the tea, which was sponsored by law firm Tilly Bailey & Irvine in association with chartered accountants Waltons Clark Whitehill.

Highlights included a drinks reception, boutique shopping and a fashion show, where local choir Mum’s the Word modelled items from Next’s spring and summer range.

The money raised goes towards the £1.8million in donations that the hospice needs each year to provide vital services that improve the lives of people affected by life-limiting illnesses and the death of loved ones.

Tilly Bailey & Irvine partner Carolyn Tilly said: “The hospice’s highly-trained staff provide essential care and support for people in the most difficult of situations.

“They are truly a credit to our town.”

Waltons Clark Whitehill managing director Heather O’Driscoll said: “The hospice is an absolutely vital facility for Hartlepool and the surrounding communities.

“We had no hesitation in supporting it and would encourage others to do the same.”

She said that, because her firm specialised in providing advice on financialmmatters and governance to charities and their trustees she knew “just how hard everyone has to work to keep charities running”.

Sandra Britten, the deputy chief executive at Hartlepool & District Hospice, said: “On behalf of all at the hospice, I would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to Tilly Bailey and Irvine and Waltons Clark Whitehill for their sponsorship, Kate Sirs and the models from Mum’s the Word Choir, Next for the clothes, Santander for their matched funding, Kelly and her team at the Grand Hotel, all the guests, stallholders, prize and resource donors, and everyone else who helped to make this event the success it was.

“We had a lovely afternoon and it was a pleasure to work with and welcome so many supporters of our work.”