Preston nurse holds afternoon tea and Gary Barlow tribute night for Heartbeat
The Preston mum-of-two arranged an afternoon tea, followed by a charity night at Preston Marriott Hotel, raising £1,058 Heartbeat.
As a nurse at Royal Preston Hospital’s coronary care unit, she knows all too well the importance of the charity’s heart rehabilitation services.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdShe says: “I organised my first charity event two years ago for bereavement support charity CAYP, as I was a link nurse there.
“I really enjoyed organising that and so last year I climbed the Yorkshire Three Peaks with three of my friends and raised £850 for Heartbeat.
“This year I wanted to do another event, and so organised an afternoon tea and charity night with Dan Hadfield as Gary Barlow and swing tribute act.
“I chose to support Heartbeat as most of my patients attend there to access some kind of support following a heart attack or being diagnosed with heart disease.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“I know how important its services are and was happy to show my support.
“It was stressful organising two events in one - a bit like a wedding, but I enjoyed it, especially as I am able to raise funds for such an amazing cause.”
Kelly’s event began with an afternoon tea with 65 guests.
People were jumping out of their seats during a game of stand-up bingo.
The mood was a little calmer when Dan Hadfield stepped up to perform a set of swing songs.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdEvents took a more up tempo turn in the evening as DJ Phillip Benson took over and Dan did a Take That and Gary Barlow set.
More money was raised as guests took part in a silent auction, with the prize being a serenade of Take That’s classic hit A Million Love Songs by Dan.
Kelly adds: “The serenade is something Gary Barlow does on his tour, so we thought it would be good to do it here.
“I had really good feedback from the night. The food was outstanding and the staff were great.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“People also enjoyed chatting to Dan before he took to the stage.
“I am really pleased we raised more than £1,000. I love going to see the people at the charity and telling them how much I have raised. Every penny counts.
“I want to thank everyone who attended the night and supported us in raising these funds.”