The Annual Sportsman’s dinner, which is held every year at The Eagle Lodge, raised an impressive £6500 in aid of three chosen charities.

For a third year Bield Housing & Care were amongst the organisations to receive a generous donation, raised from pledges as well as auction bids on the day of the dinner.

The cheque, presented by Rahul Randev, was accepted by Bield members of staff, including fundraiser Kevin Rowe, and service users over a lovely afternoon tea at Eagle Lodge.

Rahul said: “Bield continue to do fantastic work in the community, the staff are fantastic and do a great job so we are delighted to be associated with them.

“We are delighted to have Bield as one of our chosen charities and we will continue to help and support the great work that they do.”

The £2000 will go to Mary’s Kitchen at Whitehill Court Day Care Centre, a restaurant style service that seeks to provide a safe and familiar setting for those with dementia to enjoy quality time with their friends and family.

Kevin said: “It’s fantastic to receive this money from the Sportsman’s Dinner for a third time. It will be going to a great cause and we are always incredibly grateful for donations.

“Eagle Lodge have been hugely generous to us and many others in the past and we are delighted to be able to continue funding one of our much-loved projects with their help.

“Mary’s Kitchen is a dining experience for people living with dementia and their families. It means that people can celebrate special occasions with a nice meal while having peace of mind that they are in safe familiar surroundings and being looked after by trained staff and people they know.”

The service has been running for several years and continues to enable those living with dementia to enjoy a ‘night-out’ thanks, in part, to generous donations such as these.

Innovative services like Mary’s Kitchen are part of Bield’s ‘Free to Be’ ethos, where service users are encouraged to make their own choices and live their own lives.