Igniting Our Mission with a Fabulous Gala Ball

Last month, the eve team donned their finest attire to attend the Ignite Charity Gala Ball in association with eve Domestic Abuse Charity. For the last two years, our CEO, Christine Morgan, has been involved with a local networking group, BNI Ignite, to raise awareness and support of eve.

Following the success of their debut charity ball in 2024, the Ignite team decided to host a second event, only this time, they wanted to go bigger! With Christine’s support, they hosted a fabulous event on Friday, March 21^st, raising over £10,000 towards our cause.

The night started with the beautiful tinkling of ivory from the exceptionally talented pianist, Lincoln Noel. As friends, family, colleagues and clients clinked welcome drinks and said warm hellos, the Curo Ground at Northampton County Ground quickly filled with the smiles of our wonderful guests.

All of whom would go on to donate generously via sponsorship packages for the night, an auction and a dedicated QR code.

Although the aim was to raise as much money for eve and our services as possible, an integral mission of the Ignite team was to reinforce the reason why everyone had gathered together – especially when the beloved Northampton Saints were playing at home against rivals Leicester Tigers!

As a Christian charity supporting women and children escaping domestic abuse, the decision was made to have female hosts throughout the night. From Master of Ceremonies and auctioneers to Christine herself, a strong female presence was felt throughout the night.

More so during Christine’s speech, when a single woman from each table would silently stand. At the end of Christine’s speech, she revealed the shocking statistic that every 30 seconds, the police receive a call about domestic abuse. The 13 women standing represented the calls made in the few minutes she was talking. By the end of the evening, over a thousand more calls would have been made.

With several kind donations from Northampton businesses, including About Face in Olney, Seckingtons, Silverstone Museum, Northampton Saints and Northampton County Ground, there was a fantastic selection of prizes to bid on. From electric boat rides and flight experiences to oven cleans, gorgeous jewellery and golf lessons, the room bid big on every item!

The standout items for us, however, were the vouchers, which would be donated to a service user of eve. For many of our service users, when they leave an abusive relationship, they leave with nothing. Throughout their relationship, they will not have been allowed the pleasures we take for granted, such as a massage, manicure or meal out. How they looked, where they went, or what they wore was dictated by their perpetrator over several years.

These particular auction prizes paid for a service user to experience a luxury hair treatment, an afternoon of self-care, and food vouchers, allowing a mother to treat her children to a meal out, just like any other family would.

Seeing the hands continuously rise to outbid one another was a heartwarming sight, and a moment that can be retold to others, highlighting the impact of domestic abuse.

At eve, funding and donations go towards running our life-saving services, keeping safe refuges open, and recruiting experienced staff members to advocate for our mission. Every penny is integral. The money raised by the Gala Ball will go a considerable way to supporting our team and service users.

Examples of where donations contribute to include:

• £15 will provide children leaving their home without their most treasured belongings with new books, colouring and craft activities, clean pyjamas and a teddy to bring them comfort when they need it most.
• £25 will offer a critical support session via telephone for a woman living in her own home, to build her resilience and confidence to live a life free from abuse.
• £40 will help a woman set up her emergency accommodation, using the funds to pay for gas and electricity, purchase a cleaning kit, kettle, plates, cutlery, and store cupboard essentials to feed herself while she finds her feet.
• £65 will provide accommodation in our refuge for one night for a Mum and her two children, with our specialist Support Workers on hand to get them through the early days.
• £150 will fund therapy for a Mum and her child to support their recovery together.

Of course, the money raised plays a pivotal part in our organisation. But the most significant reward is speaking directly with the community about domestic abuse. Many individuals in the room would not have been aware of eve or the work we do. They may also not have been aware of the severity of domestic abuse in our community. With 1 in 4 women experiencing domestic abuse in the UK, the impact of our story may be closer to home than they realised.

With 125 individuals in the room, if we encourage even one table to increase their awareness of domestic abuse, we are one step closer. There is still a long stretch ahead, but through fundraising events like this, we can reach more people and build a stronger voice to finally put an end to violence towards women.

Feeling inspired or looking for an opportunity to help others? There are many fun and meaningful ways to get involved with eve Domestic Abuse Charity.

• Host a fundraiser – we have lots of ideas here
• Donate to eve
• Become a business partner of eve
• Volunteer your time or services
• Book onto our Domestic Abuse Awareness Training
• Follow and share our socials