Spectacular ‘Strictly’ Dance Competition Held In Aid Of Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity

A spectacular ‘strictly’ dance competition held in aid of Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity has raised £40,000 for the ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign.

Seven partners from Sheffield law firm Irwin Mitchell swapped the boardroom for the ballroom for the Cancer Charity’s first ever ‘Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity Does Strictly’ dancing event, staged at the glamorous City Hall Ballroom in Sheffield City Hall.

The event was for the charity’s ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign  which is raising funds for a new £1.3 million Cancer Research and Treatment Suite at Weston Park Hospital, for patients from across South Yorkshire, North Derbyshire, North Nottinghamshire and North Lincolnshire areas.

And as it was such a huge success, the charity has announced that the event is to return this year.

Tina Harrison, Acting Deputy Director, at Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity, said: “Our ‘strictly’ event was a fabulous success and thanks to everyone involved who worked so hard to do their bit and to support us.

“It was our first ever dance event, and has generated huge amounts of enthusiasm and interest from the business community.

“So we are delighted to announce that ‘strictly’ will be returning 2013 and are very pleased that Irwin Mitchell is to be involved again this year.”

Irwin Mitchell partner and winner on the night, Martin Loxley, who mastered a Bollywood routine, said: “We were all pleased to take part in such a worthwhile cause and to raise £40,000 for the charity – who’d have thought it was possible to raise that amount from a bit of dancing!  We were all outside our comfort zone and we all found it very difficult at first. But we had wonderful professional partners who were superb.  And whilst we all enjoyed taking part the Cancer Charity is the real winner, it’s such a fantastic cause.”

Martin, National Head of the Family Law Department at Irwin Mitchell, added: “It’s great to have been part of such an enjoyable event. Irwin Mitchell is committed to being a socially responsible organisation and encourages staff at all levels to give back to the community.”

The seven solicitors were trained at City Limits dance studios on Penistone Road in Sheffield, which is owned by Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova of TV’s Strictly Come Dancing fame.

The other Irwin Mitchell partners taking part were Kevin Docherty from the commercial property team, Yogi Amin from public law, Ruth Wright from court of protection, David Body from medical law and patients rights, Gillian Coverley from wills trusts and probate, and Adrian Budgen from the asbestos related disease team.

Each competed with a professional dance partner and vied for the much coveted glitter ball trophy.

The glittering event raised £20,000 which has been doubled by not-for-profit insurance provider, Westfield Health to a grand total of £40,000.

The money was raised from ticket sales and a raffle, at the event in November.  And the total was further boosted after Martin Loxley performed his winning routine again at Irwin Mitchell’s Christmas party, to 800 colleagues, but only on condition they donated to the charity, which brought in another £1,200.Then in recognition of the team’s efforts, Irwin Mitchell Charity Foundation made an additional £5,000 donation.

 HSBC in Sheffield also gave £1,500, in recognition of the efforts of their staff who volunteered as front- of- house, and back stage support on the night.
The money raised will go towards the charity’s ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign which is being backed by Sheffield’s Hollywood star, Sean Bean.

The £1.3 million Cancer Research and Treatment Suite at Weston Park Hospital is the charity’s biggest fundraising campaign in more than a decade.

Westfield’s Charitable Trust has pledged £350,000 to the campaign - its biggest ever single donation, kick starting the campaign with £100,000 and then matching all appeal donations pound-for-pound, up to a further £250,000.