Caudwell Children raise £1.5m at Legends Ball

More than one and a half million has been raised at auction to support sick and disabled children across the UK at the Caudwell Children Legends Ball.

The glamorous Legends Ball, took place at Battersea Evolution, Battersea Park on May 8th featuring guests including silver screen legends Joan Collins, Jane Russell, Tippi Hedren, Mickey Rooney and Arlene Dahl.

One of the most successful recording artists of all time, Whitney Houston, dazzled the star studded audience when she performed a series of her greatest hits.

The American soul sensation performed a selection of her hits as part of an hour-long set for the national charity that provide direct donations of treatments, therapies and specialist equipment to children in the UK.

Hosted by David Gest at Battersea Evolution arena, over 800 guests including celebrities Sugababes, Boyzone, Duncan Bannatyne and Louisa Lytton joined charity founder, entrepreneur John Caudwell to help raise over a £1.5m for children with disabilities in the UK.

Speaking after the event, John Caudwell, commented: “We are thrilled to have had an artist of Whitney’s calibre to headline the event. Her performance lived up to everyone’s expectation and was the perfect culmination of a fantastic event.”

During the evening’s entertainment, the audience joined in honouring the achievements of three children. Tilly Griffiths, 8; Helaina Stone, 14 and Rupert Fitzgibbon, 9 who have all been supported by the Charity and have gone on to demonstrate amazing courage and determination and were presented with special awards by the Charity.

Trudi Beswick, Chief Executive Officer for Caudwell Children said: “The night has been a resounding success, we are immensely grateful to our guests that have supported the charity by donating such a large amount of money.

The money raised tonight will significantly impact on hundreds of children’s lives living in the UK and I would like to thank our generous sponsors, HSBC Private Banking, Coutts, Barclays Wealth and UBS who through their support have ensured that this event was a success.”

About Caudwell Children

To date Caudwell Children has donated over £5 million to more than 2000 children with 160 medical conditions

Founder and Chairman John Caudwell has been committed to raising vitally needed funds for children in desperate need since the mid 1990s. Caudwell Children was registered in March 2000 is widely recognised as one of the country’s fastest growing children’s charities. In 2007 the charity doubled every pound raised, achieved through partnerships, negotiation and intangible income, which means every pound donated works even harder. What makes the charity so unique is that all the management and administration costs are covered by John meaning every penny raised can go directly to the cause.

Caudwell Children pledges to continue to make donations to specific child cases of sickness, specialist medical requirements and dying wish holidays and to buy or build a property to help aid children/children’s charities. Caudwell Children has raised and completed a half a million pound pledge to the NSPCC Full Stop campaign