We celebrated 50 years of Children First Derby by holding a special 50th Anniversary Ball on the evening of Saturday 29th June 2024 at Pride Park. The event raised a substantial amount of money to support our work helping vulnerable children, young people and families.
We were joined on the evening by some special guests who kindly graced us with their presence such as The Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire Elizabeth Fothergill CBE, The High Sheriff of Derbyshire Ian Morgan OBE, The Deputy Mayor of Derby Ajit Atwal, Sir Stephen Moss CBE, our Patron, Amanda Solloway Member of Parliament for Derby North and John Whitby Cabinet Lead Children’s Social Care, Learning and Skills Derby City Council.
The evening, whose Headline Sponsor was Smith Partnership, started with a bang! A dance battle between two teams from Trinity Dance Warriors (Ill Warriors), where dancers displayed incredible individual routines which absolutely left the audience in awe. Guests were then asked to choose between the teams, which was an impossible task!
Over 180 guests were welcomed by Irshad Baqui, Chief Executive and Louise Webb, Fundraising Coordinator. Guests were entertained throughout with up close magicians, Ian Barradell and Andy Hall, performing at each table.
Fred Jacques, Chair of the Trustee, took the opportunity to thank Claire Twells, from Smith Partnership and some key individuals who have contributed to the success of the charity, namely Milly Wigley MBE, our Founder; Pat Dixon, who has volunteered for over 47 years and still does. Fred presented each of them with a bouquet of flowers. Fred also acknowledged Sue and Colin Hand, founder members who were also present, and Derek Rowley and Monica Nelson for their invaluable contribution.
A special film was commissioned for the event, which was produced with the help of Impress Video. It gave an overview of the services that Children First Derby delivers and featured a number of beneficiaries both parents and young people who spoke about how the charity has positively impacted their lives. Guests were moved by what they saw and appreciated the work of the charity even more.
