It's begun! Well, it actually began months ago - but we have been quietly beavering away in the background securing the framework for the ball so we could announce that we are up and ready to sell tickets. Hurrah! Can't wait to see you all again in just under 6 months. If you have anything to offer - sponsor ideas, prizes etc - feel free to get in touch with us - we'd love to hear from you.

Thanks!

​Soph x

Here we are with 2 days to go! Crazy... i feel a bit like ticket master currently but we have over 320 people attending the event so that's to be expected!
Thanks to everyone for their support over the last few months and I hope we put on a fantastic night and raise lots!

Soph

Well, with just over 6 weeks to go it's all about to get very busy! I expect and anticipate some long nights and a fair amount of stress! All the main elements are in place and with only a handful of tables remaining, I'm looking forward to another amazing year!

As with each year before, time seems to just slip by and I don't really notice...well not until a calendar reminder pops up telling me that the second deposit for the venue is due in a month! We start organising the ball in January. The first meeting is a mix of Thanks from the year before, a welcome to new members and a set of goals and ambitions about what we want to achieve this year. The goal (or should I say challenge) set this year was that I wanted us to raise £27,000 to bring our 3 year total to £65,000. It's a big ask, but last year we raised £21,555 so if we really believe we can do it and get some big auction prizes in, the sky is the limit!

How well we do each year relies on a few things:

1) The Venue: Without the support of the HAC we would struggle to put on an event like this. Last year they were helpful, professional and nothing was too much hassle for them. We work closely with them to try and deliver the best event for our guests possible

2) Our guests: Fundamentally, without the generous folk who come along and support the cause, we would have a lovely venue with no one in it! They dig deep in their pockets and support the raffle, the table game, the auction and this year; the silent auction. The whole event hinges on them and how much we raise is in their hands...or their pockets! 

3) Those who donate: Foto Noir, auctioneer, Lili la Scala, speaker (Victoria Bateman this year), the band, the dj, the photographer...the list goes on. These guys bring the event together and make it special. They add the extra sparkle to the night and help cajole the guests in to spending their hard earned cash whilst making sure the have fun. These people either donate their time entirely or charge a teeny amount to cover travel etc. It's incredibly generous.

4) Prize givers: It's all very well selling tickets and having a raffle and auction, but if no one donates anything then it's all a bit pointless. We rely entirely on the generous spirit of people to help entice the guests to bid and buy prizes. This can make or break the fundraising 'success' of the night.

5) The committee: for 10 months these people give their time, their contacts, their sanity and their support to help The Poppy Rocks Ball be the event it has become. We're not professional event planners, we all have jobs, we all have other things going on in our lives, but we do it because we believe in the cause and what we are raising much needed funds for. Without these people, our guests wouldn't have fun and we probably wouldn't have an event at all! They also rope in helpers on the night who make the auction and raffle possible and who do all the running about so I can enjoy a glass of vino (post speech of course!)

Basically - it's a huge team effort and I'm really very grateful for everyone who is involved in these mad 10 months and on the night!

Check out some of the websites of those who have helped:

http://www.hac.org.uk/events/
http://www.lililascala.com/
http://www.fotonoir.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/vloaiza
https://www.bandpage.com/AlmostUnheard
http://www.louisathruthelens.com/

Please do get in touch if you'd like to know more about the night, want to donate anything or want to join the committee!

Thanks

Soph

Exciting times - just 1 week until tickets for The Poppy Rocks Ball 2015 go on sale! We've secured the venue and we already have a couple of auction prizes locked in - which really does make me feel like we are well on the way to making this year even bigger and better than last!
If you would like to join the committee, have any prizes or contacts you can help us with - do get in touch. This is very much a team effort and we appreciate all the help we get from people along the way. 
Soph x

Well, as the dust settles from 25th October 2014 and we look forward to 2015, I'm so pleased to announce that we raised £21,555 from our various efforts on the night. A huge thank you to everyone involved for making the night possible: the committee, the sponsor, our contributors and guests. We look forward to raising more next year with our sights set on £27,000 which would mean in three years we would have raised £65,000 on behalf of the Young Professionals Branch for The Poppy Appeal. Not bad!

Thank you again and anyone wishing to be involved do let us know.

Soph x

Well...we are SO nearly there! It has been a very hectic few weeks and the team and I have been very busy pulling the final bits and pieces in to place. The auction and raffle prizes are now up so go and take a look. Some of the prizes you may want to club together with some mates?
If anyone wants tickets I'm keeping a reserves list so do let me know...

In the meantime, thank you for all your support! I look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Soph x

It's fair to say that pre-ball panic has well and truly taken over! It's one of those times, where if I wasn't panicked something would be wrong.

As it is - nearly all the auction prizes are confirmed and we have a bevvy of raffle prizes. The table game and 'guess the poppy's in a jar' prizes are also pretty stellar. We have only two tables to sell and we're now taking individual ticket sales as well...

It's ramping up to be a wonderful evening and I know once the 25th rolls around it'll be amazing! Please keep a look out for the Evening Standard adverts and tell your friends. Word of mouth is key for us.

Look forward to seeing you on the night!

Soph x

Wow...9.5 weeks to go! It is flying by! The last several weeks are a bit of a blur from what I remember last year so I'm counting down to a flurry of activity. There will be no rest for the wicked.

We had a committee meeting last night and things are nicely on track. Some great prizes being locked in for both the raffle and auction and we'll be sharing these mid-September so you can start thinking about what you'd like to bid on and how many raffle strips you'll be buying!

With regards to table sales - I'm excited by the word of mouth and how people are hearing about the ball for the first time and coming along. We are fully expecting a sell out of 320 people and by the way things are going, I suspect all the tables will be gone by end of September!
If any one has any questions or would like to donate a prize, feel free to get in touch!

Thanks

Soph x