Charity delight as Ludlow race day brings in £50,000 for Severn Hospice
More than 400 people braved the cold weather at Ludlow racecourse to raise tens of thousands of pounds for a county hospice.
The Severn Hospice Charity Race Day and luncheon at Ludlow Racecourse survived a late weather inspection to get the go-ahead yesterday and charity bosses said they expected up to £50,000 to have been raised.
A different charity benefits from the annual fundraiser each year – and this time 452 people packed into a large marquee beside the race track for a champagne reception and lunch.
A silent auction was held to raise money for the hospice and Mr Douglas Graham, chairman of Midland News Association (MNA), publishers of the Shropshire Star, donated a morning at the newspaper.
The prize went for £160 and winner Barbara-Ann Tweedie will see at first hand how a newspaper is put together – and even get to start the printing presses.
The silent auction raised £1,800 and the main auction held during the luncheon saw about £10,000 secured for the nominated charity. This included a ski chalet stay at Les Arcs in France for six people which went under the hammer for £2,000 and three nights in a luxury flat in Chelsea which raised £600. After lunch there were seven horse races and a charity race which featured a range of amateur jockeys.
Sarah Hawthorne, one of the organisers of the event for Severn Hospice, said: "It has been a fantastic day and I'm confident of saying we've raised around £50,000 for the hospice."
Paul Cronin, chief executive of the hospice, told diners that volunteers and supporters were the charity's 'secret weapon' in helping to raise £5 million from scratch each year.
