Door Industry Journal - Winter 2012

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk The pop star performed at the annual ball at the Magna Centre, Rotherham, for the sell-out crowd of 850 guests, including many from the garage door industry, singing some of his best known hits including the famous Spandau Ballet hit ‘Gold’. Comedy legend, impressionist and former Eastenders star Bobby Davro was also on hand to provide further entertainment for the evening, performing a stand-up routine. The annual ball is organised by charity patrons Gail and Darren Baker, from Bramley in Rotherham, who started the event seven years ago and have raised a total of more than £230,000 for Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity. Their f undraising drive was inspire d in 2005 when Darren’s father, John, died just two months after being diagnosed with cancer. Darren is well known to many people in the garage door industry as the CEO of AlluGuard and of his late father’s business, JB Doors (Rotherh am). The money from this year’s ball will go towards our ‘Do Your Bit’ http://ow.ly/fOOp0 campaign – a £1.3 million project to raise money to create a new state-of-the-art research and treatment facility here at Weston Park Hospital. Leading health insurance provider Westfield Health www.westfieldhealth.com doubled the amount raised on the night, bringing it to the massive £40,000 total. The hospital, which is one of only four specialist cancer hospitals in the UK, serves patients from all across South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, North Derbyshire and parts of North Lincolnshire. Darren said: “We are really pleased with another successful year and everyone had a great night – particularly enjoying the entertainment from Tony and Bobby! To have raised such a fantastic amount for Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity since we began organising the ball is a great achievement. A big thank you to everyone who supported us.” Rachel Thorpe, director of Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity, said: “The annual ball was yet again a fabulous evening and we are absolutely delighted with the amount raised, so I would like to say a huge thank you to every single person to helped us to achieve this total, including organisers Darren and Gail and, of course, Tony and Bobby! “The ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign is all about people getting together to ‘do their bit’ and our ball has done exactly that. This £1.3 million campaign is our biggest in more than a decade, which is why we’re encouraging individuals and businesses to help us reach that target. “Darren and Gail work tirelessly each year to put in the spectacular event and we continue to be extremely grateful for the dedicated support they show to the Cancer Charity year after year, in particular this year for the ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign.” Photos from the ball can be seen on our Facebook page http://ow.ly/fOPUH. For more information about the ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign visit www.do-your-bit.org.uk or call the Cancer Charity office on 0114 226 5370. SINGING LEGEND TURNS CHARITY BALL GOLD! Former Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley made a special guest appearance at our annual ball – and helped bring the golden total raised to a staggering £40,000. 36 THE door industry journal winter 2012 Left to Right – Bobby Davro, Tony Hadley, Gail Baker, Darren Baker garage doors