Open house for Grove House

 There are some people I admire, and then there are other people I really, really admire.  Anyone who has the guts to host a party at their house and invite their friends I just take my hat off to.  I am still traumatised by my 18th birthday party when my "mates" arrived at the club only to troop off upstairs to the much more popular and cooler bash that Dom Higham was having which was being held at the same club on the same night.  Sorry, I digress, but it has left me with an unwavering respect for those individuals who, confident enough in themselves and their bedrock of friends, throw open the doors of their houses and say "come on over and join me for drinks, chat, and nibbles!"

But my respect turns to out and out admiration when a group of friends get together and say "let's host a function, but let's not make it for us, but to support Grove House!"  Not only that, but they don't take the easy route and invite only close friends, but they invite people who they don't know quite so well, but who they think can be of help to us at Grove House.

This is exactly what happened last night when 3 local businessmen put their heads together and hosted a function designed to raise support for our work.  All three of them have been great supporters: Alasdair McMillin, managing partner at Sherrards Solicitors , Jonathon Shreeves of Hunston Properties and the indefatigable Lawrence Levy of Levy Associates, brains and main sponsor behind the Herts 10K, an event which in itself has raised over £380,000 for Grove House.

The guys had got together and planned a full evening, inviting Lady Verulam, Lady Runcie and a long list of friends and acquaintances that they felt would benefit from a little more knowledge of our work.  Alisdair had opened up his house as the venue and the evening carried on long after it's official deadline of 9.30pm - I bet there were a few  late casualties.  But on a serious note we at Grove House never know where evenings like this can lead.  Someone knows someone, and that somone knows someone who can help us.  I think back to a dinner party that a well known business man called Gerald Corbett held for us.  We can trace back over £160,000 worth of donations from that single evening! 

Who knows what last night will have raised in funds?  It may take many months, even years before we get a clear picture, but it is the fact that three very busy men have taken time out to organise something on our behalf that again reminds me what a unique job this is.  It's special becuse you see and meet the people who go that extra distance for you.  You get to see a generosity that you'll never get from a normal job.  I wish Alisdair, Jonathon and Lawrence all the best, and I'm sure we'll be looking back and saying "if it wasn't for that evening at Alisdair's house we'd never have got the funding for......"  So remember that Dom Higham, next time you have a party!