An Ice Ball in Rutland has raised £35,000 for the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Back in February, before the coronavirus pandemic struck, members of the Stamford Ladies Fundraising Committee transformed Greetham Valley Golf Club into a glistening winter wonderland and held an Ice Ball to raise the funds.

Guests enjoyed an evening of fizz, food and dancing, hosted by comedian Adger Brown, and were entertained by X Factor finalist Nicole Lawrence.

The local community rallied round in support of the hospice, including students from Stamford College who decorated the venue and a number of local businesses that offered sponsorship.

The Stamford Ladies have announced a grand total of £35,000 was raised for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, which cares for local people with life-limiting conditions, as well as supporting their families.

Since 2019, the Stamford Ladies Fundraising Committee has organised a number of fundraising activities in support of the hospice, including a fashion show, raffle, coffee morning and charity dinners.

"We have all been touched in some shape or form by the wonderful work carried out by Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice," said Chair of the Committee, Julie Gay.

"It was so lovely working with students from Stamford College, who really brought the venue to life, creating a stunning winter wonderland atmosphere for what was a truly fabulous evening back in February. We cannot thank the local community and businesses enough for their support and generosity."

Joely Garner, Community Fundraising Manager at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, said: "Thank you to everyone involved with the Ice Ball – and a special thank you to the Stamford Ladies Fundraising Committee.

"As a charity, all our care is given free of charge to those who need it, and we simply couldn't do this without the support of big-hearted people in our local community such as the Stamford Ladies.

"The incredible £35,000 of funds raised will help us to continue providing our compassionate care. For example, it could help to pay for seven days of inpatient care for a hospice patient, to run one of our family support teams for two weeks and our hospice community team for a week, pay for three hospice nurses for a month and also around 47 hours of our expert care, helping people live the best life they can."

Joely added: "If you are inspired and are thinking about fundraising for us, please do get in touch; we'd love to support you every step of the way and help you to achieve your fundraising goals. There are plenty of ways you can get involved, including virtually."

To join the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice fundraising team ring 01733 225 999 or email [email protected]

For more information about Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice visit www.sueryder.org/thorpehall