Nearly 250 people came together on at Hilton at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton to celebrate the work of the Joe Glover Trust and raise essential funds to support families whose children are being treated for cancer.

“The atmosphere was absolutely incredible” said trustee Helena Harris. “It is an amazing event – there’s such a great sense of everyone coming together - families we support, businesses and individuals who support us, friends, medics and nurses, all in one place, raising money for children and families in need and having a wonderful evening”.

The evening raised over £12,000 to support families living with cancer in the Wessex region.

The Joe Glover Trust was set up by friends and parents of Joe Glover in 2007 soon after the eight-year-old Colden Common boy died from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

The trust works throughout Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset, West Sussex and Wiltshire - the same area served by the children and teenage cancer wards at Southampton General Hospital.

Working closely with the local hospitals, its main work is giving emergency grants to families when their child is undergoing treatment.

Jane Wilmshurst, fundraising and events manager, said: “People understandably focus on the terrible emotional impact but there is a huge financial cost to families too - an average extra £600 per month in fact – and most families can run into debt when their child is being treated for cancer with parents having to either give up or cut back on work to care for their sick child, and juggle the rest of the family. That’s where we can step in – we offer grants to help with everyday things: help towards the rent or mortgage, household bills or travel costs to hospital. As well as the emergency grants, the charity runs ‘Days Out’ Programmes, enabling families to enjoy wonderful days together."

For more information on the work of The Joe Glover Trust, to donate or get in touch please visit: www.thejoeglovertrust.org