Aspire Awards guests raise more than £8k for St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley

Guests at this year’s Aspire Awards raised £8,140 for St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley.

The charity provides physical and emotional support to those living with a life-limiting or terminal condition, and their families, and cared for more than 2,500 patients in 2024.

The original fundraising goal was £7,714, which is the amount it costs St Catherine’s to operate one of its patient rooms for a week.

It is the highest amount ever generated through an Aspire Awards charity fundraiser.

At the ceremony, which was held in Manchester on November 20, Aspire’s UK account director Toni Austin delivered an appeal to inspire donations, telling the story of how St Catherine’s cared for her mum from 2022 to 2023.

Speaking about the total raised, Austin said: “I am truly amazed by the response to my speech at the Aspire Awards and by the incredible amount raised for St Catherine’s Hospice.

“The kindness and support shown in the room that night were extraordinary, and I’m so grateful.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who donated and shared such thoughtful words - it’s something I’ll never forget.”

Auds Stapleton, corporate partnerships officer at St Catherine’s Hospice, added: “We are deeply grateful for Toni’s extraordinary and courageous efforts in sharing her story and inspiring the audience to give so generously, raising more than we ever imagined.

“This donation means so much to us and to the people we care for – thank you from everyone at St Catherine’s Hospice, West Sussex.”

Ashley Quint from TravelTime World won a three-night villa stay in Morocco courtesy of an incentive from Above by CV Villas, marking the third-consecutive year the operator has supported the charity appeal.

Quint is entitled to a fully staffed stay for 10 people at Above by CV Villas property Dar Jannah in Marrakech.

Aspire’s acting editor Erica Rich said: “We are thrilled to raise such a significant amount – an Aspire Awards record - for such a deserving and worthwhile charity.

“We are so proud of Toni for bravely getting up on stage and sharing her story, and are so grateful for the generosity shown by our incredible industry.

“We know the money is going to have a huge impact on this small but mighty charity. Thank you so much to everyone who attended the Aspire Awards and kindly donated - your support doesn’t go unnoticed.”