The day of the eagerly awaited fourth Annual Group Ball of the Mersey Valley Group had finally arrived. As ladies from all around the Mersey Valley Group were at the hairdressers ensuring they looked their very best, and all the ladies looked absolutely fabulous! The organising team on the day were putting the final pieces in place to ensure that the fourth Annual Mersey Valley Group Ball would be one to remember.
As the guests began to arrive at the DCBL Stadium Halton in Widnes, it was evident that everyone was ready to have a great time. The reception room quickly filled with members from all across the Mersey Valley Group. The room was filled with lively conversation, smiling faces and an atmosphere that shouted out that they were all here to enjoy a fantastic night.
As guests enjoyed a welcome drink and rekindled old friendships, Ian Halsall and David Boyes, the two Provincial grand directors of ceremonies, entered the room. They were responsible for ensuring that the evening ran smoothly. They asked the ladies, gentlemen and brethren to take their places in the ballroom. However, we all know that when a Provincial grand director of ceremonies requests something, saying no is not an option.
The ballroom looked stunning, beautifully arranged and as the gentlemen escorted the ladies to their seats, it was time to kick off the party. It must be something in the Mersey Valley water, because the ladies get more beautiful with every passing year and the men don’t scrub up too badly either; it must be the love of a good woman keeping them young.
The Mersey Valley Group was honoured to welcome Deputy Provincial Grand Master Frank Umbers, along with Mersey Valley Group Chairman David Atkinson and their wives, Cath and Pat. Their arrival was announced by Deputy Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies David Boyes and was met with enthusiastic applause and genuine warmth from everyone present.
On taking their seats, Dave Atkinson rose and welcomed everyone to what he knew was going to be a fantastic evening, thanks to the outstanding efforts of Bob Williams, John Gibbon, Steve McNee and of course Kevin Morton. Without their efforts, the event would not have taken place. The group were also delighted that Deputy Provincial Grand Master Frank Umbers, Assistant Provincial Grand Master, John Patrick Murphy and Second Provincial Grand Principal, Andrew Stephen Whittle had taken time out of their very busy schedules to attend this evening.
After the welcomes were completed, Ian Halsall invited Kevin Morton, the acting chaplain, to say grace. Once this was done, everyone took their seats and the DCBL staff sprang into action to serve a meal that can only be described as sumptuous. The meal was served quickly and efficiently by a team of smiling young people who appeared to be genuinely happy in their work. With wine flowing and laughter ringing out from every part of the room, the Fourth Mersey Valley Group Ball was going to be one to remember.
After the meal, Ian Halsall introduced the entertainment for the evening, Brothers and Sisters of Soul, a Liverpool group who proved to be an absolute revelation. From the moment they took to the stage, the energy in the room shifted up a gear. Within minutes, the dance floor was full and stayed that way, with guests of all ages throwing themselves into the spirit of the night with infectious enthusiasm. It was the kind of band that doesn’t just play to a room; they play with it.
As the music filled the ballroom, the raffle and auction added another dimension to what a memorable evening was already. The raffle offered some terrific prizes, but it was the auction that really raised the roof. The standout lot, a 24-seat hospitality box at the DCBL Stadium for a rugby match of the winner’s choice, drew lively bidding and more than a few hopeful faces. In the end, it was Norman Lay who secured the prize with a winning bid of £250. A fine investment, Norman, enjoy every minute of it, brother.
When the final totals were counted, the evening had raised an impressive £2,590 for charity, a sum split between two very worthy causes: Breast Mates and West Lancashire Masonic Fishing Charity (MTSFC). Two charities doing real, meaningful work in people’s lives. To understand just why that money matters so much, it’s worth taking a moment to meet them both.
Casting a Line, Changing a Life — The West Lancashire Masonic Fishing Charity
Since 2016, a small team of dedicated Masonic volunteers has been quietly doing something rather special. Armed with rods, bait, a hot lunch and an awful lot of enthusiasm, West Lancashire Masonic Fishing Charity takes young people with special needs out for a day’s fishing they will never forget.
At their first event of 2024, held at Whitmore Fishery near Kirkham, twelve young people from Ashton Community Science College in Preston, six of them deaf and six with autism, spent a day by the water that had everyone smiling. Medals and certificates were presented. Beaming faces were the order of the day.
But days like this don’t happen by themselves, each event costs over £400, which covers the exclusive hire of a lake, a proper lunch, and everything participants need to fish. The charity is run entirely by volunteers and depends entirely on the generosity of lodges, chapters and individuals across the Province.
Spotlight on Breast Mates
Breast Mates Cancer Support Group is a registered charity based in Prescot, Merseyside and they do extraordinary work for people living with breast cancer across the region.
Run entirely by volunteers, most of whom have faced breast cancer themselves, they offer practical and emotional support, a telephone helpline, weekly ‘walk and talk’ sessions, wellbeing events and a warm, welcoming community for anyone who needs it. Confidentiality is at the heart of everything they do.
And the recognition doesn’t stop there. Breast Mates are proud recipients of the King’s Award for Voluntary Services, effectively an MBE for charities. A richly deserved honour for a group of remarkable people.
The generosity shown at the Mersey Valley Group Ball means that funds raised on the night will go directly towards supporting their vital work. We are proud to play our part.
As the night drew to a close and guests made their way out into the Widnes evening, ties loosened and cheeks aching from smiling, there was a feeling that only the best nights produce, that it had been worth every moment and that next year couldn’t come quickly enough.
And on that note, if you weren’t there this year, it’s time to put the fifth Annual Mersey Valley Group Ball firmly in your diary. The team behind it, Bob Williams, John Gibbon, Steve McNee and Kevin Morton, have shown exactly what can be achieved when people give their time and talent to creating something special. If the last four years are anything to go by, the fifth is going to be something else entirely.
