Oxfordshire charity to hold first Christmas dinner and dance

The Hummingbird Centre, based in Launton, will hold the event on November 30 at the Littlebury Hotel in Bicester.

The invitation is open to all, including businesses, couples, groups, and individuals.

The evening will include a three-course dinner, entertainment by Sparky and Sprite, a raffle, and a silent auction, and all proceeds will go towards the running costs of the cancer support centre.

Sparky and Sprite (Image: The Hummingbird Centre) Its fundraising team decided to organise the indoor winter event after their summer festival was cancelled two years in a row due to extreme weather conditions, causing a significant loss of funds.

Mechelle Harris, founder of The Hummingbird Centre, said: "We are absolutely delighted to bring the dinner dance to residents and would urge people to sign up soon because places are limited.

"And for any businesses that have yet to organise their festive dinner, this is also a great opportunity to have your staff Christmas dinner and help raise money for a local charity.

Mechelle Harris, founder of The Hummingbird Centre (Image: The Hummingbird Centre) "We promise a great night of fun and the amazing Sparky and Sprite will be entertaining us throughout the evening."

Tickets cost £70 per person, with the option to book a table of eight for £520 or sponsor a table for £100.

The event, which The Hummingbird Centre said is "the perfect solution for anyone running out of time to plan their company’s festive celebration," will start at 6.30pm, followed by a three-course festive meal including wine, and dancing until midnight.

All the money raised will be used to support people with cancer and their families across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire through complementary therapies, counselling, a children's centre, and regular activities.

The Hummingbird Centre opened in 2014 after Ms Harris promised her late father, Raymond Hurcombe, she would create something good out of their loss as a family.

Since then, it has supported thousands of people and has become "very much part of the community".

Open from Tuesday to Friday, from 10am to 4pm, it relies entirely on donations and volunteers to enable it to operate.

Ms Harris added: "We were absolutely devastated to have to cancel our summer events, two years running.

"They are a great way for us to meet and say thank you to the community for supporting us, but as always, thanks to people’s generosity, we usually raise around £4,000 which would go a long way to support the work we do."