South Somerset family raise £130k in memory of daughter Jess

Dave and Julie Thomas, from Stoke-sub-Hamdon, raised £13,339.22 for the charity Teenage Cancer Trust by holding a fundraising ball in Crewkerne, bringing their lifetime total raised to £127, 248.62.

Their latest fundraiser took place in February at Haselbury Mill and saw more than 240 guests from across the UK come together for an ‘unforgettable night’ of fundraising, food, drinks, and dancing.

This event is the latest in the family’s 10-year-long fundraising journey in aid of the trust. They began fundraising for the charity when Dave's daughter Jess was diagnosed in 2014.

She began receiving treatment and support from Teenage Cancer Trust staff at the charity’s Teenage and Young Adult Unit in Bristol before her death in January 2016.

Following this, the family decided to help ensure the charity can continue to provide services for young people across the South West who 'are in need’.

The charity night was a black-tie event, involving a dinner, live performances from the 12-piece band DT8, and DJ Pulse Roadshow.

The night included a raffle, a live auction, and a silent auction, which included prizes such as a three-course dinner at The Pig, a signed Football by Jude Bellingham, tickets to Goodwood Festival of Speed, and a NASA Space Shuttle Jacket from Cape Kennedy Space Centre.

According to the organisers, there were also other opportunities to donate and support the night, such as games of Heads and Tails and the opportunity to ‘Buy Jess a Drink’ – donating the cost of a drink to the charity after friends and family missed out on buying Jess a drink in the years since she died.

The Thomas’ said the large sum raised will now be used by Teenage Cancer Trust to fund specialist hospital units, nurses, and youth workers across the UK that provide age-appropriate care and emotional support to those in need.

Following the event, Dave said: “As always, these events are tinged with mixed emotions, but at the same time, we are so grateful that friends and family still want to come together to celebrate Jess’s life all this time later.  This was an event to remember Jess 10 years after her death, but not in a sad way.

“I’m really proud that we managed to raise £13,400 on the night, bringing the total raised in Jess’s name to over £125,000.”

Dave and Julie also thanked their friends and family for helping to organise the ball.

Charlotte Rowley, relationship manager for the South West, Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Cancer is tough. But Teenage Cancer Trust’s work puts young people in the best possible place, physically, mentally, and emotionally, for their cancer treatment and beyond.

“We do that by funding specialist nurses, youth workers, and hospital wards within the NHS, so that young people with cancer get the sensitive, individual care and support they need at a unique and critical life stage.

“But we’re dependent on donations for this vital work, which is why we’re so very grateful to Julie and Dave for their unwavering support and endless generosity of spirit.

“Saturday night's ball wasn't just an incredible fundraising event, but shone a light on what magic can happen when a community comes together and feels like a true celebration. A huge and heartfelt thank you from everyone at Teenage Cancer Trust to everyone involved.” 

Later this month, the family is set to hit their target of £130,000 raised in Jess’ memory as two family friends take on the London Marathon.

Another friend of the Thomas family is also planning on hiking the Three Pass Trail to Everest Base Camp in 2027 in support of the charity.