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Page 10 November 2025 AD SALES 01204 478812 THE first-ever Derian House charity ball has raised £20,000 for the much-loved Chorley children’s hospice. The dance floor came alive with guests in glittering gowns and sharp black tie dur- ing an evening of fun and celebration. Singer Stephen Bay- liss and DJ Des Grant kept everyone dancing and singing late into the night at the glamorous event that took place at Shaw Hill Golf and Spa Hotel, in Chorley. Families, support- ers, and staff began the evening with welcome drinks and a delicious Having a ball for Derian three-course meal, followed by dazzling close-upmagic fromScoop Magic and countless selfies in the prop-filled photo booth. Guests heard from the charity’s chief executive, K ren Edwards, as well as Leo Cliffe, a young person who uses Derian House, and bereaved dad Mark Prince, who spoke about the care the hos- pice gave to his daugh- ter, Holly. Leo, 24, said: “I had an amazing time at the ball. I want to say thank you to Des Grant and Ste- phen Bayliss for doing an amazing job. And thank you to all the staff at Derian for all their hard work, the hospice means a lot to me.” Mark Prince, whose five-year-old daughter Holly spent her final days at DerianHouse, attended with his wife Jenny. He said: “I was invited to speak at Derian House’s first-ever ball. It was an honour to speak about my daughter Holly and what Derian have done and still do for our family. It was a well organised event, and all of our party had great time.” A lively auction and raffle saw huge prizes won, including a three- course meal in a private box at Manchester Unit- ed’s Old Trafford, a clay pigeon shooting experi- ence, and artwork made by Derian House’s chil- dren and young people – which sold for £1,000. The evening raised £20,332 for the 400 chil- dren and families Derian House cares for each year. Ellie Smith, commu- nity fundraiser at Derian House, said: “What an incredible experience – thank you so much to everyone that supported and made our first-ever Derian House ball such a special one to remem- ber. We can’t wait to start planning for next year! “The generosity in the room was incredible, and will mean the world to our families. Care is free to families at Derian House, but it costs £6mil- lion to run the hospice every year.” Photo credit: Derian House PHOTO SPECIAL