Summer Ball 2009
AJM Fundraising is inspired by my husband Tony who lost his battle with cancer in May 2008 aged 30. I wish more than anything that this site didn’t exist and that Tony was here, I can’t make that happen but hopefully with your help, we can raise some money for a worthwhile cause.With a few good friends I have set-up AJM Fundraising to raise money for anti-cancer charities and rather than invent a new charity, we plan to try and raise some money for three existing charities. No matter how many times I talk about this it still seems unreal. Tony was the most energetic and positive person most people have ever met. He was crewing yachts in the Whitsunday’s Australia when I met him and then he came back to England with me. Uprooted from his beloved sea and boats he quickly made a success of himself at everything he put his hand to. He worked his way up to Assistant Facilities Manager for one of the world’s biggest companies. It is true though that fairytales don’t always have a happy ending.
This is one of those things that always happen to somebody else but this time it was us… Tony was never ill in the ten years that we spent together and for him to be struck by cancer is still totally incomprehensible to me. What we thought was a chest infection ended up being a mediastinal germ cell tumour the size of a cricket ball – a cancer so rare there are maybe 30 cases a year in the UK. In Australia you could quarter that figure. It was only because of Tony’s high fitness levels that this wasn’t picked up sooner and as such it was highly aggressive - as was the treatment that followed. As with everything, Tony faced this head on and even started a new job half way through the chemotherapy and between operations – as you do! His strength and determination will stay with me always and has affected many people who know and love him.
Tony leaves me with a beautiful little boy who aged two already shows the strong will and energy which his father was famous for.
So; we are holding a Summer Ball on July 31st as this seems a very appropriate way to raise money in the name of somebody who liked nothing better than a good party and to spend time with friends. I hope you can join us…
Tickets are on sale now and you can either complete the enquiry form or send me a cheque directly. Cheques should be made payable to AJ Murray Fundraising.
Many thanks
Claire
Thank you so much to everybody who supported this event, it was a great night and we have made at least £7,500. We are in the process of updating this site and the final amount will be published on here soon. If you have any comments/questions then please email info@ajmfundraising.org
Charities
Cancer Research UKWe have all heard of Cancer Research and as pioneers in the fight against cancer we felt they should be included in our trio.
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/
St Michael’s Hospice Basingstoke
St Michael’s Hospice is our local hospice and while Tony was never treated there they have been fantastic supporting me through their bereavement service. http://www.stmichaelshospice.org.uk/
No Surrender
We chose No Surrender as it is aimed at increasing awareness of cancer in young adults and also has links with the Royal Marsden where Tony was treated. http://www.no-surrender.org/
Venue
Set in 75 acres close to a North Hampshire village Sherfield offers extensive, mature grounds and a secluded lake. The main building comprises a grand Victorian House which retains many of its original period features, such as beautiful wood panelling & large stone fireplaces. This building has been augmented over the years with a number of additional modern buildings in keeping with the character of the site.The Gallery Room is where the ball is taking place and the tables will seat 10 people. If you would like to make a group booking and sit together please advise at the time of booking.
If you need overnight accommodation then we have agreed a £65 per night double rate (including breakfast) at the Hampshire Court Hotel. The hotel has a gym and spa facilities and is less than 5 minutes taxi from the venue. In order to make use of this offer, please call the hotel and quote “ajmfundraising event” by 17th July.
Google map
The Gallery RoomSherfield School
Sherfield-on-Loddon
Hook
Hampshire, RG27 0HT
Due to the popularity of this event we have released more tickets. In order to allow this, we will be using a marquee supplied by Sandhurst Marquees.
Raffle
Auction
Menu
Pesto Risotto salad
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Chicken breast stuffed with mascarpone and lemon served with roasted vegetable ratatouille and rocket salad
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Picked on the day Hampshire Berries with honeyed cream and lavender shortbread
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Coffee
**Please advise of any dietary requirements at the time of booking**
Catering provided by http://www.samphirecateringhants.co.uk/
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Chicken breast stuffed with mascarpone and lemon served with roasted vegetable ratatouille and rocket salad
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Picked on the day Hampshire Berries with honeyed cream and lavender shortbread
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coffee
**Please advise of any dietary requirements at the time of booking**
Catering provided by http://www.samphirecateringhants.co.uk/
Floral decorations are very kindly being donated by our local florist ‘Your Country Florist’.
Visit website
The Fandangos
The Fandangos are a young and dynamic pop band available as either a 4-piece or 5-piece. Since their formation in 2006, the band have racked up a wealth of experience entertaining at weddings, parties and corporate events with a repertoire that combines the very best of classic and contemporary music; from the Stones and the Police to Duffy and Amy Winehouse; covering a wide range of musical styles including rock, soul, disco, reggae, as well as the latest chart hits.
Gallery
Photos on sale now – 50% of each photo sold goes to our chosen charities.We are fortunate to have the services of a professional photographer on the evening of the ball to capture everyone all dressed up enjoying the evening.
Simon from Loddon Photography (based in Sherfield on Loddon) will be with us from the start of the evening to capture you at the start of the evening and will be staying for a couple of hours; so do please grab him to get your photo taken.
The photos will all be uploaded to a Gallery called 'AJM Fundraising Summer Ball 2009' on Loddon Photography's Gallery the same evening for you to place an order from the following day. Simply go to the homepage and click on the AJM Fundraising Summer Ball. Thumbnails and a link to the site will be available from here after the event. Once a picture is chosen, ordered and paid for the image order will be automatically processed by 'Photobox' and delivered directly to you. There is a wide selection of photo sizes to chose from and you can also order your pictures not just as a print but on a selection of other formats, such as T-Shirt or mouse mat; and you can even order it framed.
The prices are very reasonable; for example a 10 x 8 print is £9.35 and 50% of this will be going to our charities.