Charity to host stars of sport and stage at fundraising ball

Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity will welcome patrons Michael Vaughan and Jessica Ennis to the black-tie event, along with celebrity couple motorcyclist James Toseland and singer Katie Melua.

Entertainment will be provided by Keane’s Tom Chaplin, Britain’s Got Talent stars Stavros Flatley and Alexandra Parker, plus local band The English Gentlemen.

Held once every two years, the Winter Ball raises money to support innovative projects at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

In 2009, it raised £65,000 and provided the hospital with a state-of-the-art cardiac ultrasound machine, which has been helping to protect young hearts ever since.

Dylan Beer, five, is just one of the hundreds of children from the region who have benefited from the machine.

When he was admitted with septicaemia and multi-organ failure in September, the use of the ultrasound machine led to a quick and accurate diagnosis and the best course of treatment.

Dylan’s mother Colleen said: “We can’t thank the hospital enough for everything they did. Dylan was in intensive care for 11 days and in hospital for four and a half weeks altogether.

“Dylan’s just turned five and is getting stronger every day now. And he’s here and that’s the main thing.”

David Vernon-Edwards, the charity’s director, said: “The Winter Ball is one of our biggest events and we want to raise even more money this year to help give the children at the hospital a brighter future.

“We’re really grateful at the charity to all of our supporters and patrons who will be attending on the night and helping us to change even more lives.”

The Children’s Hospital Charity supports and enhances the work of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust by providing specialist medical equipment, new facilities, improvements to the hospital environment and funding research into the prevention and cure of childhood illnesses.

For more information on the charity visit www.tchc.org.uk