Glitz, glamour and gratitude as Wolverhampton charity hosts annual fundraising ball
It was a night of glitz, glamour and vital fundraising for city domestic abuse support charity as it held its annual ball.
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The great and the good came to the Mount Hotel in Tettenhall on Saturday to enjoy the Haven Wolverhampton's Masquerade Ball, an event which helps to raise much needed funds to ensure it can continue to deliver essential support to women and children fleeing domestic abuse.
The event was also a way of recognising the work that the charity has done over the last year and thank all of those who have helped to support the charity in that time.
Guests donned masks of their choice for the black-tie attire and were treated to a drinks reception, followed by a three-course dinner, and a whole host of entertainment, including a casino and disco, plus a charity raffle and auction to raise further funds.
Interim CEO Maryjane Squires said the event had been a great success and had raised far more than anyone at the charity had expected.
She said: "Everything went smoothly and everyone had a really good time and there was lots of money raised which, all in all, I think we're close to just over £8,000 in net income, which is brilliant for an event where you've got around 114 people attending.
"Everyone was dressed up and wore masks and the room was beautifully decorated by the Mount Hotel and it was really nice that everyone dressed up, with people in black tie or ball gown dresses and a lot of glitter and sequins."
Ms Squires said she was also delighted to see how generous people were to help a charity they had been touched by the work of.
She said: "I think that unless you've experienced domestic abuse, it's really hard to understand what it means to be a survivor, so we find people are always moved when we share the story of the women.
"People buy in to what we're trying to do and have become huge supporters for us and the money raised will continue to go into our services, such as counselling for survivors, children's play therapists and play resources and the different methods that we are using to engage with children and help them process what they've been through.
"I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us as we couldn't do the service that we do without them and the money that they are donating is saving lives and helping women rebuild their lives after such a traumatic time."