The Ball raised £5,500 for young people in Surrey
26 October 2026
On Saturday 24 October the Province held its Charity Ball at Wotton House, Dorking. The evening raised £5,500, and every pound goes to the three Surrey charities the Ball was held for: Cherry Trees, Surrey Young Carers and Surrey Army Cadets.
Half past six
Guests arrived from half past six for drinks in the lounge, under a chandelier and a blue ceiling, with the welcome board on its easel in the hall. It rained on the drive.
Dinner at seven
Dinner was served at seven in the Wotton Suite under a ceiling of fairy lights: twelve tables, three courses with wine, and the sponsors’ slides on the screen at the end of the room. Members came with partners, families and friends.
The speech, the raffle and the auction
After dinner the Provincial Grand Master, R.W. Bro. John V. C. French, took the microphone and walked the room. Then Les Smith, the toastmaster, in red tails and white gloves, ran the raffle and the auction: a signed football shirt, a television, a hamper, and a good deal of laughter.
The floor
Then the floor was open. The chequered floor filled from the first song and stayed full until carriages at midnight, under the DJ’s coloured light.
Where the money goes
The £5,500 goes to the three charities chosen for this year’s Ball, each of them working with young people in the county.
- Cherry Trees, which gives children with learning, physical and sensory impairments, and their families, a real break from round-the-clock care.
- Surrey Young Carers, the young carers service of Action for Carers Surrey, supporting people under 18 who look after a family member.
- Surrey Army Cadets, whose cadets build confidence and teamwork through camps, expeditions and community work.
Thank you
To everyone who bought a ticket, took a strip of raffle tickets, bid in the auction or gave a prize. To the businesses that sponsored the evening. To Wotton House, whose staff looked after the room from the first drink to the last dance. And to W. Bro. Na’el Clarke, our Provincial Grand Charity Steward, who organised the whole night.
The next Ball is being planned: register your interest on the Charity Ball page and you will hear before tickets go on general sale.