Winter Dinner Dance raises £71,000 for charity

Digby Brown’s Winter Dinner Dance 2017 raised over £71,000 last week in support of Spinal Injuries Scotland (SIS).

More than 500 people attended the charity bash on Friday 3 November to help those affected by spinal cord injuries as well as their families and friends.

Comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli hosted the evening at DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central - the 15th year of the annual fundraiser.

The annual fundraiser kicked off with three buskers – freshly plucked from the streets of Glasgow – entertaining the crowd.

Sophie Bartholomew was the first musician on stage and wowed the crowd with her rendition of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.

Andrew Nichol was next and received equal applause after covering Fall at Your Feet by Crowded House and Nicole Pacitti wrapped up the busking with Your Song by Ellie Goulding.

All three acts played a second song in the ‘Battle of the Buskers’ and raked in an incredible £550 between them which was added to the final total for the night. The winning act voted by guests was Nicole Pacitti and she secured studio time at Clyde.

There was also a trail-blazing treasure hunt that saw guests run around looking for clues with a bottle of champagne going to each member of the winning table.

TV stand-up Simon Evans provided the laughs on the night.

The well-spoken funnyman also remained behind to hear from SIS volunteers and speak with guests at the dance. However, it was SIS volunteer Steven McGhee who really stole the show.

Steven was left permanently paralysed after a holiday accident in Spain in May 2007 at the age of 26. His inspirational tale left guests in tears and reminded everyone of the importance of SIS and its support work.

Steven’s speech was also accompanied with a short film prepared for the Winter Dinner Dance featuring volunteers from Spinal Injuries Scotland explaining what they do to help people after suffering a spinal cord injury.

The auction and raffles rounded off the night and proved a massive success.

Around 40 coveted items such as an 18ct white gold diamond bracelet from Chisholm Hunter, a home cooked meal by Hardeep Singh Kohli, a weeks’ cottage stay at Beaufort Castle estate and VIP tickets for the Script were just some of the coveted prizes that raised £12,303 on the night.

However, the grand prize for the evening was a brand new Vauxhall Viva courtesy of Peter Vardy.

Chris Stewart, Partner and Head of Serious Injury at Digby Brown, said: “Every year we are humbled at the generosity shown by those who attend and this year is no exception – to raise over £71,000 in just a few hours is incredible.

“In our day jobs we see first-hand the after-effects of spinal injuries and that’s what makes the work of Spinal Injuries Scotland so important.

“Thank you to our buskers and Simon for their enthusiastic and memorable performances as well as Hardeep for hosting, everyone who attended, donated and to those who helped make the event possible.

“We are enormously proud of our long-standing bond with SIS and its volunteers and we are thrilled to help them, as they help Scotland."

Learn more about Spinal Injuries Scotland by visiting their website.