A Zombie Ball which took place at the Birmingham Ballroom last month has raised over £1,400 for homeless shelter charity St Basils, organisers announced today.
Organised by Birmingham Zombies, the ‘Dance of the Dead’ ball was held to raise money for the charity to assist it with its work with homeless youngsters in the city.
The event, which was the newly-revamped Birmingham Ballroom’s premiere Halloween night since it’s reopening in September, was a massive success with over 750 revellers taking to the dance floor dressed up as zombies, ghouls and goblins.
The money raised continues the organisers’ tradition of championing good causes with large scale events following the success of recent Zombie Walks, which have so far raised over £3,000 for local charities. Much of the time these events are set up without any budget and rely on external financial support, with the Oasis Alternative Fashion Store in the city being one of Birmingham Zombies’ main regular sponsors.
Event organiser Jamie Chapman, 21, feels the Zombie Ball is a unique way of engaging young people with important causes whilst ensuring they enjoy themselves.
“I think the event was a great success and it was really inspirational to see young people coming together at what was essentially a really jam-packed club night but for the purpose of helping those less fortunate than ourselves and building a sense of unity for a good cause.”
Based in Digbeth and founded in 1972 with just one night shelter, St Basils has grown to have 26 accommodation projects and 367 bed spaces across the West Midlands.
A St Basils spokesperson added: “The Zombie Ball was a massive success and great fun for all the people who bought tickets, many of whom are probably a similar age to the young people we help.
“We are very grateful to the Birmingham Zombies, for organising this event for us, not only for raising a staggering £1,400 to help us in our vital work but also for raising awareness of youth homelessness and the services St Basils provides”.
People from across the city are also due to come together on Friday 2nd December for St Basils Big SleepOut, a city-wide event where participants sleep rough for 12 hours in locations across the city to fundraise for the charity.
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