A FUNDRAISING ball held in memory of a mum from Hampshire raised more than £1,500 for charity.

The event, held at at Chilworth Manor Hotel in Southampton on May 14, saw scores of guests turn out for music, dancing and fun.

The night raised more than £1,500 for ‘Friends of Jean’s House’, a group of volunteers who fundraise for the costs of Jean’s House.

Jean's House is a 'home from home' run by Young Lives vs Cancer which offers families a free place to stay while their child is in hospital.

The ball is an annual event first set up in 2009 by Hazel Soffe and her sister Jane Stapleton to raise money in memory of their mum Lesley Couzens, who died from cancer.

During the pandemic it could not go ahead in 2020 or 2021, so the organisers were delighted to see it return.

Hazel, from Nursling, said: “We were so pleased to have raised £1,547 and we are so grateful to our family and friends for coming along for a fun evening to raise money for such an important cause and especially those who helped on the night.

“Jane and I would like to say a special thank you to our master of ceremonies, Mikkie Goode, DJ Carl Ferris and to one of the charity’s other volunteers Caroline Mousdale who gave a brave, sincere and touching speech about the support the charity gave to her and her son Bradley who sadly passed away from bowel cancer aged only 23 years old.”

Families are able to stay at Jean's House for as long as they would like to, free of charge, while their child is being treated for cancer at Southampton General Hospital. Their stays can be anything from a night to many months at a time.

Liz Blunt, senior fundraising manager at Young Lives vs Cancer, said: “It’s a real honour to work and volunteer for the charity with other incredible volunteers like the ‘Friends of Jean’s House’ fundraising group.

"They work tirelessly to raise the profile of Jean’s House to let people know locally about this important home for families to stay in.

“Our research shows that families need to find an extra £600 a month when they have a child with cancer, so Jean’s House is really great at helping families financially but also really important that they can stay close together at such a difficult time.

“It was wonderful to attend the ball and I really appreciate the huge efforts that Hazel, Jane and their family and friends put in to ensure all had a fantastic evening and raise vitally needed funds for our charity."