Ball boosts team’s total as fundraisers hope to reach £50,000

A family who have relentlessly raised funds in memory of their loved one have raised more than £48,000 for a charity close to their hearts.

Alongside their family and friends father and daughter Darren and Connie Gibbs launched their Zena 10 fundraising in June 2015, which marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Darren’s partner and Connie’s mother Zena Butcher, 37.

Backed by their family and friends they initially hoped to raise £10,000 for St Nicholas Hospice Care, which helped the family through Zena’s six-year battle with a malignant brain tumour.

However, the combined efforts of the Zena 10 fundraising team have led to £48,490.97 being raised for the charity, which supports those across west Suffolk and Thetford coping with long-term and life-threatening illnesses.

Having organised a series of fundraising events and entered teams in the charity’s Girls Night Out moonlight walk, the team’s latest fundraising event, a sell-out charity ball added an incredible £5,189 to their total.

The occasion, which was organised by Zena’s sisters Mandy Smart and Tracey Butcher alongside Zena’s daughter Connie and Tracey’s daughters Haydn and Jordan Gross, took place on October 28, and marked what would have been Zena’s 50th birthday, on October 22.

The ball, which was attended by more than 200 people, had a masquerade theme, was the third of its kind and also featured a raffle, took place at Ashlar House, Eastern Way, Bury St Edmunds.

Tracey said: “It was such a good evening and we were all really pleased with how everything went. It was a sell-out event and we are so grateful to everyone who supported us. It was a great night.

“We would like to say thank you to everyone who helped especially Ashlar House, William McColl from Roff Caterers, Mickey Logan for the music and Crafty Foxes for the centre pieces.”

The funds raised by the ball have put the team within touching distance of raising £50,000 a milestone which they hope to reach this year.

“We already have next year’s ball booked but we are hoping to be able to do some other fundraising in between before to reach the £50,000 mark,” added Tracey.