The first ever Neo Community Ball raises £10,000 for charity

A ball to mark the 10th birthday of Wirral-based Neo Community has raised £10,000 for the charity.

The food and community charity was founded in 2013 and quickly became recognised as a key provider of food assistance and support throughout the local community. The organisation, which became a registered charity in 2019, has since extended its offer to include social supermarkets, a community café, kids and youth clubs, holiday activities, family supper clubs and activities for older residents, as well as training, wellbeing, and a women’s group.

The glittering inaugural celebration took place last month at New Brighton Rugby Club, with entertainment by Merseyside “queen of comedy”, Pauline Daniels, “master of mirth and magic”, El Blanco aka Larry White and music from Wirral-based singer, Kriss James.

The event’s 180 attendees enjoyed a delicious three-course meal provided by Alex Lauro from West Kirby Sailing Club and participated in auctions and raffles to raise vital funds for Neo Community.

The evening concluded with a surprise show-stopping performance from Gillie Leroy Jones, who has performed with the Drifters and Ben E King and drove from Scotland as a treat for the Neo Community team and to support the charity.

Ema Wilkes, Neo Community CEO, said: “Our inaugural ball was a huge success, and we had a fabulous night celebrating ten years of supporting our communities and helping them to grow and thrive.

“As well as the £10,000 raised directly during the evening, we also added two new members to our Neo 50 Partnership and generated further pledges of support totalling £30,000. While some of our functions and services are grant-funded, we rely on the generosity of individuals and businesses who support our mission to allow us to continue to meet the growing needs of our communities, so we would like to thank everyone who bought a ticket and donated from the bottom of our hearts.

“Every penny that we raise goes back into our communities and supports our aim to ensure that no-one is left behind.”

The Neo 50 Partnerships is a simple idea that makes a big difference. Fifty businesses or individuals pledge an amount of money each month to Neo Community, which allows the charity to build up a fund that underpins the work that NEO does across Wirral, creating stability for the projects and the teams. The partnership currently has 15 members including Heap & Partners, Marine Turbo, Gov Data, Wirral Chamber and The Keith Jones Partnership.

The Neo Community Ball will return to New Brighton Rugby Club in June 2024. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For further information contact Ema Wilkes on ema@neocommunity.org.uk