KENDAL based charity The Oaklea Trust celebrated their 21st anniversary in style on Friday 18th November with a glitzy fundraising ball held at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, which has raised over £13,000.

The ball was the first such high profile event to be organised by The Oaklea Trust, a charity which helps disabled and disadvantaged children and adults, and was attended by over 200 guests who travelled from all over the North of England.

Sue Green, Director at The Oaklea Trust, tells us more: “The interest in the Wishlist Ball was really amazing, especially from the local business community around Kendal. Invitations were sent out at the start of the year and we were quickly up to capacity and had to establish a ‘reserve list’ for those eager to take up any spare places.”

“Wishlist is a foundation established by The Oaklea Trust to which people can apply for funds to help make dreams come true.” continues Sue, “Quite often, even a modest amount can make an enormous impact to someone’s life; from a specially adapted laptop to an away-day at the seaside which allows a family some quality time together, Wishlist helps with some of the simple requests that can make everyday life a little more bearable.”

Trustees and friends of The Oaklea Trust took the lead role in the planning and organisation of the Wishlist Ball which included a champagne reception and entertainment throughout the magical evening. 

Highlights of the evening included an auction with a superb array of prizes and unique experiences available the highest bidders, plus a ‘glass slipper’ draw at midnight which saw a lucky guest taking home an exclusive Baccarat necklace.

“The Ball was also a great opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years and we’re certain everyone had a wonderful time.” concludes Sue, “Being able to highlight such a worthy cause and show how every penny we raise goes towards improving the quality of life for disabled children and adults, then all the hard work has been well worth it.”

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