Door Industry Journal - Winter 2015

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk garage doors 54 THE door industry journal winter 2015 The Weston Park Charity Ball Delivers Another Evening To Remember The door industry has once again come together in the fight against cancer, thanks to the latest incarnation of the Weston Park Charity Ball. Established in 2006, the ball is the brainchild of Darren Baker – joint MD of Yorkshire-based roller door manufacturer AlluGuard - and his wife Gail. The couple arranged the first ever event in memory of Darren’s father, John, who spent the last days of his battle against stomach cancer at the Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield. Just six weeks after John passed away, Gail threw a surprise party for Darren’s 40th birthday. Rather than bringing gifts, she asked guests to make a donation to Weston Park, an idea that eventually raised over £1000. The following year, Darren and Gail decided to go one better and hold a charity event to raise money for the hospital, and the Weston Park Charity Ball was born. The very first ball attracted 150 guests but since then the numbers have grown and grown. This year, hundreds of people packed in to the Magna Centre, Rotherham to be entertained by headline act Brian Conley, one of the UK’s best- loved comedians. Music was provided by The Bootleggers, who are often described as ‘The Sheffield supergroup’ and gave a stunning performance of vocal harmonies. Guest also took part in an auction, with items sold throughout the night and snapped up by some extremely generous bidders. The evening added considerably to the amount raised over the years by the annual ball, with the total now standing at well over £300,000. All the money goes towards helping the vital work done at Weston Park. The Sheffield hospital is one of only four dedicated cancer hospitals in the UK and has a global reputation as a centre of excellence for cancer research, treatment and care. Patients travel from all over the country, and even from abroad, in order to receive the specialist cancer services for which Weston Park is rightly renowned. Darren and Gail Baker are now patrons of the Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity and are the organisation’s biggest fundraisers thanks to the success of the ball. “After each ball we think it’s been the best one ever and that we can’t possibly top it, then next time we always do!” says Darren. “This year has been no exception – hundreds of people attended, all ready to help the hospital, and everything about the evening – the entertainment, the venue, and the food - was absolutely fantastic. Everybody who came had a great time and, most importantly, we raised a lot of money for a very good cause.” www.charityball.org.uk