Give Opinions helps raise £15,000 for Kidscan
Give Opinions were proud to support the first Winter Fundraiser Ball.
As newly appointed Patrons of children’s cancer research charity Kidscan, Give Opinions were proud to support the first Winter Fundraiser Ball.
Movers and shakers from all over the region attended on Thursday 1st December, helping to raise over £15,000 for the Salford-based charity.
Set against the spectacular backdrop of Victoria Warehouse, guests at this exclusive event, sponsored by co-production agency Vega, made closing charity auction bids on rare musical memorabilia donated from Oasis, Elbow, The Blossoms, Rod Stewart and many more. Exclusively sourced collectables included signed guitars from the Pixies, Slash from Guns ‘n’ Roses and Nile Rodgers.
Other entertainment included live music from rising star Vicky Nolan, cover band Blonde-ish and DJ Nicola Deano. Guests also enjoyed pitching themselves against host and Capital FM radio DJ 'Wingman ' in a musically themed interactive quiz created by research agency Give Opinions and exploring an immersive augmented reality world created by creative agency Magnetic.
Bringing an element of fun to the evening, 150 guests were taken through a trivia quiz hosted on WhatsApp utilising Give Opinions survey software. The data was analysed on the night to see who in the audience had beaten the DJ with their trivia knowledge. The lucky winner received a bottle of fizz and three digitally enhanced business cards produced by Magnetic.
Bringing the Kidscan cause to the forefront was 18-year-old Ambassador Charlotte. Usually wheelchair-bound, Charlotte took to the stage on two feet, supported by Trustee Kelly Anne Perera to tell her emotional story about the life-long effects aggressive cancer treatments had on her growing body.
Another hard-hitting speech was bravely delivered the mother and sister of former Kidscan Ambassador Matty Hatton. Matty's inspirational story hit the headlines when his Aunty reached out to the nation via Facebook during lockdown to ask for letters to cheer him up following his brain tumour diagnosis. The nation answered, and the ‘Letters During Lockdown’ campaign was born. Matty received over 800 letters and videos, including personal messages from Ant and Dec, Astronaut Tim Peake and the BBC team.
Sadly, Matty recently gained his angel wings due to the toxicity of the treatments used to combat his cancer, but one of his final wishes was that his mum close his bank account and donate his savings of £500 to Kidscan. In honour of this, Kidscan launched the 'Match Matty' campaign at the Winter Ball. Vehicle finance firm Vavoom kick-started the contributions to match Matty's £500 gift, closely followed by YouTube optimisation agency Channel Factory and a host of others. The ‘Match Matty’ campaign will continue to be an initiative throughout 2023 in memory of its inspirational namesake.
Head of Fundraising for Kidscan Kirsty Leigh said:
We're so proud that our first Winter Ball was so successful, and the many thousands of pounds raised will fund vital projects next year.
We could only have achieved this with our event sponsors and a new panel of Trustees and Patrons, who have redefined the fundraising strategy. I can't wait to see what the Charity will achieve in 2023, with new support from a host of businesses, influencers, and celebrities."
Rock Band Elbow said:
"We were honoured to support Kidscan by donating Elbow artwork for the charity auction. We are very proud to be helping such a fantastic regional charity."
Other stars have pledged further support following attendance at the Winter Ball, including Alopecian model and cosmetic pioneer Zara Lena and wig entrepreneur Liam Cullen who will donate specialist wigs and unique transferable eyebrows for those dealing with hair loss as a consequence of cancer treatment.
For 2023, Kidscan will be working on an exciting fundraising events programme supported by stars of the screen and stage. Give Opinions will conduct the first market research study for Kidscan, talking in depth with Ambassadors, friends, family and teachers.
This hard-hitting research will form the basis for educational packs to be delivered to schools nationwide.
In memory of Matty Hatton, Kidscan has joined forces with Northwest Cancer Research to jointly fund a PhD which will commence next year.
Kidscan will soon be hosting a unique tour of the research laboratories offering the press a unique opportunity to get a glimpse into the future of cancer treatments by meeting the charity’s highly renowned Researchers and Scientific Director.
For those that missed the original charity auction, additional musical memorabilia will be auctioned by a leading auction house in aid of the charity in the upcoming weeks.
