In light of the rapidly changing coronavirus situation, we regret to announce that the Mel’s Milestone 40 Charity Ball will NOT be taking place as planned on Saturday 16th May 2020. This event has been postponed and will take place on Saturday 22nd May 2021.

In May 2021 our daughter would have turned 40, had she not lost her life to anorexia in 2011. In commemoration, we are organising various fundraising acitivites including two Charity Balls to raise at least £40,000 in aid of Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity.

The money we raise will train school and university teachers to spot the signs of eating disorders and support their students to get help before it is too late.

Eating disorder symptoms typically develop between the ages of 12 and 20; 15-20% of secondary school students experience behaviours and thoughts that can lead to eating disorders. But schools and universities also present unique opportunities to provide support: school students are 9 times more likely to go to a teacher than a parent with a disclosure about an eating disorder. So Beat trains school, college and university staff so that they are better able to identify and support vulnerable students to seek treatment rapidly.

Tickets are £75 each, which will include a drink upon arrival, drinks reception, a three-course dinner, half a bottle of wine each and entertainment during the evening.

Accomodation

Rooms at The Stratford Manor Hotel can be booked via the hotel’s central reservations on 0845 074 0060 quoting “Mel’s Milestone”. Rooms with breakfast are £105 for a single and £111 for a double. For hotel information see https://www.stratfordmanor.co.uk

Not from the local area and thinking of making a minibreak out of it?

Here are other things to do in Stratford-Upon-Avon:

Stratford-Upon-Avon is the home of The Royal Shakespeare Company https://www.rsc.org.uk and its world renowned theatre and is the town where William Shakespeare was born and schooled – see more at http://www.kes.net/about-us/history-of-the-school/

In fact you can visit where Shakespeare learnt from an entrance in Church Street and two minutes walk away is https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/shakespeares-new-place/ which is but one part of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust https://www.shakespeare.org.uk .

Just over five minutes walk through town will bring you to another Trust property – Shakespeare’s birthplace https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/shakespeares-birthplace/ . You can buy a Full Story ticket to all five places for 12 months.

Near Clopton Bridge you can hire motorised and rowing boats or sit back and take a river cruise with https://www.avon-boating.co.uk .

There is a lovely circular walk along the Avon maybe calling into the RSC Theatre for a drink, snack, lunch or dinner. The restaurant at the top of the building gives a great view of the river and delivers good food at a reasonable price. Great for pre show dining, but strongly recommend booking dinner. An even better view comes from the 118 foot observation tower.

Stratford is surrounded by countryside with beautiful villages like Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Broadway, Chipping Campden not far away. Warwick has a magnificent 1100 year old castle which is part of the Merlin Group https://www.warwick-castle.com