Charity Ball Raises Thousands for Specialist Equipment

In September 2016, Manchester based Make Events in partnership with local businessman and owner of BetFred, Fred Done and his wife Mo hosted a lavish charity ball at the Hilton Deansgate in aid of Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

This week saw them come and present £205,000 to Professor Rob Wynn and the hospital team. The original target for the ball was £50,000 which was well and truly beaten. The group also took a tour of the hospital to see how the money the event raised will be spent, giving them a glimpse into the amazing work the hospital carries out, helping sick children across our region.

10 months of planning, from Make Events working with Fred and Mo culminated in a show stopping event in September, full of make believe and surprises, with 400 guests delighted to support Fred and Mo’s chosen charity, it was a party not to be missed.

The event raised an incredible £205,000 going towards the purchase of a Miltenyi Prodigy machine for the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. The unit treats children with blood disorders, cancers such as leukaemia, and genetic and metabolic diseases. Having a Prodigy machine at the Children’s Hospital will ensure that families do not need to be separated during this already distressing and anxious time.

Professor Rob Wynn said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Fred and Mo, the team at MakeEvents, and everyone who was involved in making the Charity Ball such a huge success. It was wonderful to see so many people come together to help raise vital funds towards this cutting-edge equipment which will provide stem cell services to both the blood and marrow transplant units based in our Trust hospitals.

“Manchester is the second largest paediatric transplant unit in the Country so the need for this machinery was vital in order to provide the best possible treatment and care to our patients.”

The Make Believe Ball featured an emotional talk by Adrian Oldfield and his wife Lynn who lost their first daughter Eleanor to a rare genetic disease. Their second daughter Phoebe who suffers from the same condition also came on stage with her parents. She has undergone multiple blood and platelet transfusions as well as bone marrow transplants at the hospital under Professor Rob Wynn. She is doing well today and living her life to the full.

Phoebe and her family wanted to highlight what having the Prodigy machine would mean to families like the Oldfields, making life easier, removing the travel to London. Her parents and grandma were there this week to meet with Fred and Mo Done at the hospital to see the presentation.

Fred Done owner of BetFred said: “Myself and Mo were delighted to come down today with Holly from Make Events to see just where the amazing amount we raised at our inaugural ball is going. It is great to witness that the machine will really make a difference to lives of families like the Oldfields here in the North West.

“We worked hard with Make Events to make sure it was a memorable event and we believe this was reflected in the generosity of the guests on the night. We would like to express our huge thanks.”

Holly Moore, director of Make Events: “We feel privileged to have been able to donate our time to the first Make Believe ball. This week seeing just what a difference the money raised will make to families like the Oldfields right here in the North West has been fantastic.”