On Saturday 22 November we welcomed supporters, friends and partners to the spectacular Willow charity Ball at The Dorchester hotel in London. The charity ball brought together longstanding supporters and new faces, all united by a shared commitment to helping seriously ill young adults create precious memories with their loved ones.
The evening started with a cheque presentation from former professional goalkeeper, Graham Stack, who took to the stage to present his lifelong hero, Bob Wilson, with £51,000 – the amount raised at his boxing event, A Night to Remember, which Willow was honoured to be one of four chosen charities to benefit from.
A key moment of the Willow charity Ball is always the presentation of our Willow at Heart Award. The award is given to someone who goes over and above in helping Willow achieve its mission. This year, the award went to one of our supporters, Peter, whose dedication to Willow, in addition to other charity work across the world, made him a very deserving winner.
Another highlight of the evening was hearing from Rich, an RAF Veteran and Willow beneficiary. Rich was met with applause as he shared his experience of living with oligodendroglioma and how his Willow Special Day allowed him to reconnect with his love of the ocean, surfing and the Cornish coast.
Later in the evening, our live auction, led by Martin Bayfield, saw guests compete for an incredible selection of prizes, from a lakeside getaway for two, to tickets to the London Football Awards. There was also the chance to purchase a beautiful limited edition sterling silver Willow pin, created by jewellery designer, Sarah Wilson, in memory of Megs Wilson.
It wouldn’t have been a Willow charity Ball without some magnificent entertainment. In 2025 we were treated to magic by Marvin Berglas and Jack Rhodes plus music from Chesney Hawkes and Fully FunKtional, all of which was expertly guided by host, Pete Graves.
The One and Only, Chesney Hawkes, delivered some real crowd pleasers with our Co-Founder and Life President, Bob Wilson, and beneficiary, Rich, joining Chesney on stage to bring the whole room to their feet! Band, Fully FunKtional closed the event with a funky performance, rounding off a truly special night.
Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of everyone who attended, an incredible £163,000 was raised on the night. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to such a memorable night, including Access Group, Anna and Paul White MBE, and long-standing supporter Bob Weston of Weston Homes PLC.
We look forward to welcoming guests back next year for our charity ball as Willow continues delivering unforgettable moments and lasting memories for those who need them most.