UPDATE: Information on Coronavirus
In light of the rapidly changing coronavirus situation, we regret to announce that the Mel's Milestone 40 Charity Ball will NOT be taking place as planned on Saturday 22nd May 2021. This event has been postponed and will take place on Saturday 11th September 2021.
Please note the changed venue. The event will now take place at the Hilton by Double Tree almost in the centre of Stratford-Upon-Avon and very close to the railway station. Address - Arden Street, CV37 6QQ.
This September, parents Robert and Jane Spooner will kick off a series of fundraising events in support of Beat with a glittering charity ball.
Robert and Jane are hosting this event, and the ones to come, in commemoration of their daughter Dr Mel Spooner. Dr Mel would have turned 40 in 2021, had she not sadly lost her life to anorexia in 2011, and Robert and Jane now have set themselves the ambitious target of raising at least £40,000 in total.
The ball will be held at 6:30pm on Saturday 11th September 2021, at Hilton by Doubletree, Stratford-upon-Avon. Tickets for Mel's Milestone 40 Charity Ball are £75 each and includes an arrival drinks reception with the addition of a gin cocktail option along with canapés (gin was Mel’s favourite drink), followed by 3 course meal with half a bottle of wine per person. There will be entertainment during the evening along with various auctions.
The money raised from this, and the Spooners’ forthcoming events, will go towards funding Beat’s Spotting the Signs and Bridging the Gap courses, which train education professionals to identify and support students vulnerable to eating disorders.
Robert says: ‘In 2011 our daughter Mel lost her 17-year battle with anorexia. Beat’s findings that it takes three and a half years, on average, for someone to start getting help was shocking and whilst there are sufferers of all ages, for many that fearful journey starts whilst at school. So where better than there for someone to be trained to spot the earliest signs and steer the sufferer to help? The sooner intervention comes, the sooner and better the recovery will be.’
Jane says: ‘A couple of years ago, I was thinking that in May 2021 Mel would have been 40 and a bonkers idea came to mind. Instead of seeing the date as a negative, I decided to turn this to a positive – why not raise at least £40,000 for Beat from May 2020 - May 2021?
‘Fortunately, my family were all for it. A ball at the start and end of the year seemed a fun way of celebrating Mel’s life, while raising money for Beat at the same time.'
Beat’s Philanthropy Manager, Jessica Scoot, says, ‘We are incredibly grateful that Robert and Jane have chosen to support Beat in honour of their daughter Dr Mel. The ball will be a fantastic event, and every penny raised will go towards vital training courses to help school and university staff spot the early signs of eating disorders.’
For more information, and to buy your ticket, click here.