The 42nd Polish Ball raised an incredible £30,000 for the Alina Foundation

Opening with the traditional Polonaise dance, this was an unforgettable evening of dining, dancing and auctions all in the name of a fantastic cause.

The Ball celebrated one of the greatest composers of the 20th century; Witold Lutoslawski, whose 100th birthday fell just a day earlier. Auction prizes included a cruise down the Nile and beautiful works of art by Polish artists.   You can read more about the Ball here.

All proceeds from the event will be used to purchase medical equipment to support children such as Grzes, a teenage boy with brain cancer. 

A serious operation left Grzes in a coma in hospital but his parents were able to care for him at home thanks to equipment provided by their local hospice and the Alina Foundation. After months of unwavering care from his family and hospice nurses, including four hours of physiotherapy a day, Grzes woke up from his coma earlier this year.  "Without this specialist equipment, we would never have been able to bring Grzes home", Grzes'  mum told us,  "The equipment, the support, is vital. There is no way I could manage otherwise." 

The Alina Foundation would like to thank the organising committee of the Ball, our wonderful volunteers on the night and our fantastic guests. We are delighted that we were able to raise such a significant sum, which will make a huge difference to children and families across Poland.