MASKED glamour will be hitting York Racecourse this November - and it will all be in aid of our Guardian Angels appeal.

Local businessman Peter Bebb is one of the organisers of the ball at the racecourse's Voltigeur Suite on November 3, and hopes hundreds of people will buy tickets to dance the night away.

The suite has enough room for 500 people, and tickets are being sold either individually or in tables of ten.

Paula Thompson, a self-employed book-keeper from Tollerton who is helping to organise the ball with Peter, said: "I just think this is a good cause and worth helping.

"I'm a mum myself and you don't know when you might need something like this."

The ball is being organised on a Venetian masked theme, and will include a champagne reception, three-course dinner, live band and disco.

There will be an auction and raffle, with prizes donated by local businesses, including Tesco and Morrison's supermarkets.

One of the prizes to be auctioned off is a collection of six owl drawings created by wildlife artist Robert Fuller, of Thixendale, near Malton.

Mr Fuller has donated the pictures to York's B&Q for auction at the ball.

Tickets for the ball cost £55, or £500 for a table of ten. To book places, phone Peter Bebb on 01904 656314 or email peterb@peterbebb.co.uk The Press Guardian Angels appeal aims to raise £300,000 for a new high-dependency unit at York Hospital's children's ward.

The money will fund two life-saving high-dependency rooms with new, specialised equipment.

It will mean many more youngsters can be treated in York rather than having to be transferred further afield, to cities like Leeds.

These children could be suffering from illnesses including meningitis, septicemia, breathing difficulties, viral chest infections, obstructions of the voice box, severe asthma, bronchiolitis, convulsions or coma and physical injury.

A specialist nurse will care solely for these high-dependency children and other staff will be trained to get the most out of the improvements.

Young patients would have immediate access to the right treatment, instead of waiting for ventilators and monitors to be taken from other patients.


Roll of honour

Recent donations to our appeal include:Crombie Wilkinson Solicitors
AP Hartas
Friends of Clifton Pre-Preparatory School
St Oswald's Parish Church
Mary Gardner, U3A Gardening group
St Edward's Playgroup
Miss I A Mackenzie
York Press cake sale
Mrs M Boden
Mollie Spencer
Big Ian's fundraising pub quizzes
Mrs EV Seward

How you can help

IF YOU would like to help our appeal by holding a charity event, such as a coffee morning or sponsored walk, let us know about it and we can publicise it in The Press, to make sure as many people as possible support your efforts.

Phone Lucy Stephens on 01904 653051 or email lucy.stephens@ycp.co.uk. You can also find a section on Guardian Angels on our home page, under "news" and "campaigns and appeals". There you'll find a downloadable poster which you can customise to generate more publicity, and a sponsorship form.

If you want to make a donation, send cheques or postal orders made out to The Press Guardian Angels appeal, to Lucy Stephens, Newsroom, The Press, 76/86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN.

PLEASE do not send cash and PLEASE do not send donations to the hospital direct.