After more than 16 years of service to the local area, Ashbourne Insurance together with Shepherds Estate Agents of Hoddesdon hosted a charity fundraiser at Ashbourne's Hoddesdon offices at 50 Amwell Street with more than 150 local business customers, clients, suppliers and staff in attendance. They raised more than £3,500 for the Willow Foundation at their 16th Birthday celebration through raffle prize ticket sales, donations and a silent auction.
Councillor, Mrs Lyn White attended the special anniversary event last week to officially mark the occasion with the cutting of a cake. Other local celebrities who attended included local residents and clients - actress Gillian Taylforth and Tottenham Hotspurs Official Football Freestyler, Billy Wingrove. Billy stunned the crowd with an impromptu demonstration of his football tricks.
Peter Smits, Ashbourne Managing Director said,
"In these challenging economic times it is good to celebrate the local entrepreneurial sprit and that is why we teamed up with Shepherds who share this same ethos of supporting local customers and using local suppliers. We are proud to mark 16 years of service in Hoddesdon - the key strength of any business is the attitude and skills of its people, and as a team we have many, many years of offering our local customers personal and professional advice.
The Willow Foundation is a very worthy charity based in Hatfield and we had the privilege of meeting Bob Wilson, just days before our party to really appreciate how our fundraising efforts would benefit the recipients of Willow Special Days Out. Thank you to everyone who donated prizes and services for such a deserving charity."
The Willow Foundation, founded by Bob Wilson and his wife Megs, is a unique charity that organises and funds very special, morale boosting days out for 16 to 40 year olds with life threatening illnesses. Ashbourne and Shepherds directors were inspired by the stories of seriously ill people who get such comfort, respite and sheer joy from being able to make a dream come true - and for many this is their last chance of a special day out. The Foundation is on target to take 1,450 people on special days this year at an average cost of £1,600.00 per event.
The Sept 10th evening event offered visitors the chance to enjoy a traditional hog roast, complimentary wine tasting from The Wine Guest, have a turn at a Fun Casino donated by Funky Casinos as well as support the Willow Foundation Charity by purchasing raffle tickets, making cash donations or, as indeed as many local businesses did - donate a prize. Prize donations came from Marriott Hanbury Manor Hotel & Country Club, Saracens Rugby Club, Van Hage Garden Centre, LTM, Louise's Flowers of Hoddesdon, Stevenage Football Club, Books of Hoddesdon, Orange Mobile Phones, Rye House Kart Raceway, and Marconatos Restaurant to name a few. The Bread Bin of Ware donated all the bread rolls for the evening and Mobile Stationery of Hertford donated printing services.