More than 100 people came together last Friday for our Charity's first ever family Halloween disco, raising an incredible £850 for the Ray of Sunshine Campaign.

The spooktacular event was held at Baines Hall in Elland and welcomed families from across Calderdale and Huddersfield for an evening packed with fun, fancy dress, games, dancing and fundraising. The event was organised by Admin Assistant, Tillie Widdowson, and Fundraising and Engagement Co-ordinator, Katie Stewart, who wanted to bring the community together while raising vital funds to support babies, children and young people receiving care through CHFT services.

Families fully embraced the Halloween theme, arriving in a fantastic range of costumes, from scary skeletons to frightful frankensteins. The event featured a costume competition, with prizes awarded to some of the most creative outfits of the night, while games including Wrap the Mummy and limbo proved popular with children and adults alike.

The evening concluded with a raffle, made possible thanks to the generosity of local businesses who donated a wide variety of prizes. Tillie worked tirelessly to secure raffle prizes, helping to make the event a huge success and boosting the amount raised for the campaign.

The Ray of Sunshine Campaign raises funds to provide bravery and distraction toys for children undergoing treatment. The campaign aims to brighten the care and experience of babies, children, young people and their families. Whether in hospital or in the community, the campaign helps reduce avoidable distress and trauma, ensuring individual needs are met while helping to shape and enhance the future of local healthcare for our communities and future generations.

Katie said: "It was fantastic to see so many families coming together, having fun and supporting the Ray of Sunshine Campaign. Thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone who attended, donated prizes and volunteered on the night. The funds raised will help us continue to provide bravery and distraction toys for children and young people receiving care across our hospitals and community services."

A huge thank you to Calderdale Radio for providing the DJ and keeping the dancefloor busy throughout the evening, and to the many local businesses that donated raffle prizes, and to our fantastic volunteers who helped make the event possible.

A special thank you also goes to everyone who attended and supported the event. Following the success of this first Family Halloween Disco, organisers are already looking forward to bringing local families together again for future fundraising events in support of CHFT Charity and the Ray of Sunshine Campaign.