On Wednesday 11th June, the corporate team at Meningitis Now delivered a ‘Paint & Sip’ event in the stunning surroundings of Stonehouse Court Hotel.
Laughter, connection, and a beautiful sea of colour filled the room as we came together to celebrate our charity and the wonderful people and organisations connected to it.
Our talented host for the evening, local artist, Maria, guided a group of 22 painters to re-create a specially commissioned piece - a beautiful cherry blossom tree, symbolic of the one that stands proudly in our remembrance garden at Meningitis HQ.
The tree was representative of both remembrance and growth; the orange hues representative of our brand colour and hope for everyone affected by meningitis.
We were joined by supporters and staff from Gloucestershire-based businesses includingRedKite, Randall and Payne, Newland Homes,Lily and Me, Clear Future Financial Planners andGloucestershire Community Foundation. Each had their own unique connection to the charity.
Powerful and moving story
Our guest speakers for the evening - Dursley-based mother and daughter, Gemma and Bella - shared the powerful and moving story of how, with Meningitis Now’s continued support, they have rebuilt their lives after meningitis.
Left with an acquired brain injury and hearing loss after contracting meningitis at 16 weeks old, Bella has blossomed into a confident 18-year-old woman, who speaks openly about the challenges she has faced since meningitis changed her lived forever.
Contrary to those challenges, Bella has not allowed meningitis stop her from achieving her goals and is currently studying towards a degree.
After admiring all the impressive artwork the group had created, the evening concluded with a raffle draw, with prizes generously donated by the following companies:
🧡 Stonehouse Court Hotel
🧡 Lavish Beauty
🧡 Woodchester Valley Vineyard
🧡 Lily & Me
🧡 Tesco, Stroud
🧡 Quayside Wealth Management
🧡 Confection Affection
🧡 Made in Stroud
🧡 Murrays Estate Agents
Feedback following the event has been incredibly positive. Alice Prout, Assistant Client Manager at Randall and Payne told us:
“Thank you very much for last night. Hari and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, and it was great to do something a bit different to the usual events we attend! Gemma and Bella’s story was very moving and it’s lovely to see how much the charity has helped Bella to live life to the full and supported Gemma through such a difficult time. Can’t wait for the next event!
Thank you!
Laura Williams, Senior Corporate Fundraiser and event organiser, said:
“To everyone who came, painted, donated, and connected with Meningitis Now —THANK YOU! We really couldn’t carry out our important work without your support!
“At Meningitis Now, we are proud of our positioning in the local community and the positive impact our work has had to thousands of people living in Gloucestershire and across the UK. Next year, we celebrate our 40th Anniversary and raising our profile within the local community where our work began will be a focus for us.”
If your company is interested to learn more about how you can get involved in supporting Meningitis Now in the lead up to our celebratory year, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with Laura at: lauraw@meningitisnow.org for more information.
If you're interested in a booking a paint party for a corporate event or special occasion, you can find out more about Let's Paint, here.
