On 7th March 2020, 8 Northumberland Avenue opened its doors to the wonderful guests of Sarcoma UK’s Glitter Ball. This is the first fundraising gala that Sarcoma UK has planned, and we were delighted to be a part of the journey.

Our social responsibility has always been at the heart of our business. We understand the importance of our support of small businesses and charities in the UK and work continues to promote this. As part of this, set out to partner with a UK charity with whatever support we could offer to aid them in their fundraising goals.

Sarcoma UK is a charity of particular closeness to us. A member of our core team has experienced their support first-hand after having a family member pass away. They found the support and guidance that Sarcoma UK offered during a difficult time invaluable.

We always value the feelings and opinions of every member of our staff. Therefore, when they recommended Sarcoma UK as a charity to support for a fundraising event, we felt it was a perfect fit.

We spoke to the Sarcoma UK team to learn more about this great charity and its work across the UK.

Tell us more about Sarcoma UK and the work you do:

Sarcoma UK is a small cancer charity that represents the interests of sarcoma patients and their families as they undergo treatment for this rare form of cancer. We also work with researchers to find better treatments, with the goal to find an eventual cure for this disease.

Our mission is to amplify sarcoma awareness and inspire involvement from communities. We also fund ground-breaking research to transform the lives of everyone affected by sarcoma.

We are there to make sure everyone diagnosed with sarcoma gets the information and support they need to move forward. Providing support to those affected with the UK’s “loneliest cancer”.

Have you ever held anything similar to the Glitter Ball before?

We have never held a Glitter Ball or a Gala dinner before for our supporters. We were delighted with the feedback we’ve received from our supporters and guests. They felt this event is exactly what they needed, and we are already inundated with requests from a repeat event next year!

How did the Glitterball compare to other fundraising events? 

As this is the first gala dinner we’ve thrown, we don’t have a like for like comparison. However, in its first year, we raised over £25,000 for research support and awareness. This figure is almost enough to fund an entire year’s salary for a junior researcher and provides invaluable support.

The goodwill and cheer from the Glitter Ball has also led us to new contacts and prospects for future fundraising. We are very excited about the opportunities an event of this scale has given us through 8 Northumberland’s generous help.

How was your experience working with 8 Northumberland Avenue? Is there anything, in particular, you want to highlight? 

We’d like to thank your event management team, AlchemyLive, especially our dedicated event manager Rhianna, and Chloe, for accommodating our (sometimes) wacky ideas! On the night they truly worked their socks off, and ensured the event ran smoothly from beginning to end!

How important are gala dinners and live events to your charity? 

We are currently in a new strategy where we are attempting to transition away from community events (and the London Marathon). This means gala dinners and live events will become an increasingly important part of our fundraising arsenal.

The success of the event has shown our board and our supports that these types of events are the future for us. The invaluable support that 8 Northumberland Avenue provided helped us to achieve this aim.

Looking to organise your own charity event or gala ball, get in touch with a member of our team for more information.