Glamorous York charity ball hopes to top £75K for cancer charity
The Macmillan Hopes and Dreams Ball at York Racecourse has raised more than £50,000 and organisers hope to hit £75,000 at this year’s glamorous event.
Matt Ascough, 34, from Malton, is in the fifth year of organising the ball. He fundraises for Macmillan following the support he had from the charity eight years ago.
In 2013 Matt, then aged 26, was diagnosed with testicular cancer and was supported by a Macmillan nurse in the weeks after his diagnosis and surgery
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The Hopes and Dreams Ball has limited remaining tickets, priced at £55, all proceeds go to Macmillan Cancer Support.
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or to do donate to Matt’s fundraising visit his Just Giving Page
He said: “I’ve organised the Hopes and Dreams Ball for five years and it’s no easy feat, it takes over my life but I’m motivated to do it so people can receive the excellent Macmillan care I had.
“Before I was diagnosed, I didn’t know Macmillan existed, without Macmillan support my experience would’ve been so much worse.
“My Macmillan nurse gave me a real lift; she was there after surgery and helped me understand the clinical side of my cancer.
“Most importantly, my Macmillan nurse gave me hope, she told me you’re not going to die from this and that made a massive difference.”
The right time
Matt works as the assistant operations manager at York Racecourse.
The Hopes and Dreams Ball will take place at York Racecourse on Saturday 25 September, after having been postponed twice because of the pandemic.
“I was disappointed when the ball had to be postponed last year but of course I understood, we’ve all gone through so much in the last 18 months it feels like the right time to be starting things back up again,” Matt said.
“This time around organising the ball has had many new challenges so we can keep the evening Covid secure but I’m confident we’ve done everything we can to bring people together safely for such a worthy cause.
“I’m so proud of the fact I have raised over £50,000 for Macmillan, I’m aiming to hit the £75,000 mark with this year’s event. The pandemic has had a disastrous effect on Macmillan and I feel it’s important to do my part, people living with cancer need Macmillan now more than ever.”
The Hopes and Dreams Ball, which will welcome around 500 guests this weekend, and will also include a casino and Ibiza Lounge.
Macmillan’s fundraising manager Becci Shanks said: “It’s never been more important to raise vital funds to ensure Macmillan can continue to deliver the services that people living with cancer so desperately need.
“Everyone at Macmillan would like to extend our thanks and congratulate Matt on raising over £50,000, this phenomenal amount will make a massive difference to people living with cancer right here in Yorkshire.
“Every penny raised from Matt’s Ball will go towards Macmillan’s Yorkshire Appeal, helping people living with cancer across the region and it’s no exaggeration to say people with cancer have never needed the support more than they do right now.”