Band Hatton Button Shine A Light on Charity

Sam Schoolar (left) and Sarah Jordan

A fundraising drive is underway by a local law firm as it looks to support Coventry and Warwickshire families affected by childhood cancer.

Shine A Light Support Service is set to benefit from thousands of pounds' worth of donations from Coventry solicitors Band Hatton Button, with the main fundraiser being a Charity Ball which is to be held on Friday, May 11 at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Walsgrave.

The news provides a boost to the city centre charity, which is currently supporting 35 families a month in Coventry and Warwickshire since setting up in September 2016.

It also comes as the charity has secured a new home at Eaton House after being evicted from their previous premises at Coventry Point.

The support the charity offers ranges from counselling sessions for parents, through to activity evenings for teenagers to take part in games such as go karting or laser quest. Adult group sessions are also laid on to promote mindfulness and wellbeing.

The charity also provides a drop in family centre space where parents and children can come together to play.

Sarah Jordan, head of marketing at Band Hatton Button, said: "Shine A Light has made such a difference to so many families in its short life, but the charity is still in its infancy and needs as much support as it can to consolidate and grow further - that's why after a staff vote we have decided to dedicate our charity ball to this particular charity this year.

"We are aiming to beat the £6,000 we raised at our last charity ball in 2016, and to do that we are appealing for as many donations as possible that we can auction off or include in raffle prizes."

On the night guests will be treated to a glass of fizz on arrival, a three course dinner and half a bottle of wine each.

Sam Schoolar founded Shine A Light Support Service to ensure families affected by childhood cancer continued to receive support following the closure of charity Bethany's Wish.

She said: "Families affected by cancer go through a rollercoaster of emotions, and our aim is to help them maintain a degree of normality at the most difficult of times.

"Any funding we receive can make a massive difference to what we can provide for families, so we're extremely grateful to Band Hatton Button for making us their nominated charity for their charity ball.

"Giving a child a night out enables them to simply have fun with similar children who are going through the same experience without having to explain why they may be different. For example, for a group of 20 this usually costs us around £300 to put on.

"We are also launching a new welcome pack for families that are new to us, reminding them of fun activities they can do together as a family, whether it's providing them with board games, watching DVDs or making popcorn.

"People don't have to spend money to help us - we are always on the lookout for volunteers as well to help keep our centre running or coming up with creative fundraising ideas."

To get involved in the charity ball visit www.bandhattonbutton.com/charity-ball-2018

For more information about the Shine A Light Support Service, visit www.shinealightss.org.uk