Harbour Hospice’s fundraiser Catwalk Arts has been cancelled. Harbour Hospice Fundraising Manager Amber West says, “Unfortunately, there simply weren’t enough entries to ensure that the event would be the show-stopper we had hoped it would be.”

Entries were about one third of what were needed. The show had been scheduled to take place on 22 June at the Mahurangi Hope Church in Warkworth.

Catwalk Arts had originally started as a fundraiser between Mahurangi College and Tui House in the early 2000s and was handed over to Harbour Hospice as an annual event in 2018.

It has raised an average of $30,000 per show for Harbour Hospice over the years, and this funding has helped to support the charity’s delivery of community nursing support and day respite care for local families.

West says, “We’re hugely grateful to everybody who has been involved in putting the show together over the years, from our wonderful volunteers, Lesley Ingham, Shona Pickup and the Fundraising Volunteer Committee to all of our generous sponsors. Mason Containers and Northland Waste have been principle sponsors year after year and Morris & James designed and created the bespoke ceramic tiles for winners year after year.

“The event was a fun and creative way for locals to get involved with hospice and support the service. Some wonderful creations were produced over the years and audiences certainly enjoyed some very special moments - one highlight being the 2022 show where one of our entrants was proposed to on stage, and a number of our original Catwalk Arts volunteers from 2006 made a special appearance.

“But the lower entry numbers indicate that perhaps people have less time to put into creating entries now, and perhaps the community has less of an appetite for this event.

They have shown their support in many other ways, though, which we are grateful for because this helps keep our services freely available to all in the community.

“We have lots of ways for the community to continue to support us, moving forward. We have Calendar Girls coming up at the end of April, which is being put on by the Warkworth Theatre Group – 10% of ticket sales will be donated to Harbour Hospice. We have lots of local activities planned for Hospice Awareness Week, from 13-19 May, and we’re excited about our 2024 Homes and Gardens Tour, which is coming up in November.”

To find out more about these events, click on the links

Warkworth Theatre Group Presents Calendar Girls

Harbour Hospice Art Exhibition & Sale