Photo by Kevin Brown Photography
OVER £8,000 has been raised for Queenscourt Hospice at the sparkling Save Queenscourt night at The Grand in Southport.
Hundreds of people packed into the venue on Lord Street with live music and entertainment across all 3 floors, as well as outside as people arrived.
Those performing included X Factor stars Ray Quinn and Anthony Russell and Britain’s Got Talent star Andrew Curphey.
The night was hosted by Claire Simmo and Kelly Bond, and boasted top DJs Baz Todd, Jon Jessop and Sunset Ali, with singers including Jenny Wren, Clare Campbell, Lois Ross, Jeannie Croft, Terry Woods, Evie McDermott and more.
The Southport Off-key Choir, who won the Sefton Diversity & Inclusion Award at the 2026 Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards, sang for guests as they walked into the venue, alongside children from Marshside Primary School.
Mikhail Hotel And Leisure Group offered their flagship Southport venue to Queenscourt Hospice and worked with them to stage the spectacular event at a time when our local hospice is in urgent need of help and support.
In April, Queenscourt Hospice announced that it will be reducing its in-patient ward from 10 to 5 beds, as it continues to face financial uncertainty.
The hospice previously declared that it was being forced to consider reducing the vital services it provides for patients, as it operates with a £2 million deficit.
The Save Queenscourt night raised a total of £8,004.23 for the hospice as well as raising awareness about the plight they are in.
People paid £25 per ticket for the event and dug deep to secure raffle prizes which had been kindly donated by local businesses including a Liverpool FC family ticket for tour and museum; a signed Everton FC shirt; overnight stay for two with breakfast at the Marion Hotel and Resort in Dysert, North Wales; a Four Ball at Blundells Hill Golf Club; Tyson Fury framed boxing glove; luxury hampers and more.
Mikhail Hotel And Leisure Group Cluster Manager James Bretnall-Bennett said:- “We are delighted to have been able to raise over £8,000 for Queenscourt through our first ever Save Queenscourt night at The Grand. When Mikhail Hotel And Leisure Group Chairman Andrew Mikhail heard about the challenges that Queenscourt Hospice is facing, he immediately offered them full use of The Grand in order to support them. The venue was packed and we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed a stunning evening while also showing their generosity and kindness towards our local hospice."
He continued:- “Queenscourt is 35 years old this year and helps over 2,000 local families every year across Southport, Formby and West Lancashire. Everybody locally is connected in some way and as a community we have so much to thank them for what they do - we can’t afford to lose them. We’re extremely grateful to our team at The Grand for making the night such a huge success. We’ve had fantastic feedback from everyone who came - so much so that we want to host a Save Queenscourt event next year too. We’d like to thank all of the superb acts who entertained us, and to all of the wonderful suppliers and supporters who donated their time, skills, and services to help make the evening so special.”
Queenscourt Hospice Fundraising Manager Liz Hartley said:- “On behalf of everyone at Queenscourt Hospice, I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone who made the Save Queenscourt fundraiser at The Grand such an unforgettable evening. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity and support shown by everyone who attended. “Special thanks must go to Jeanette and James and their team at the Mikhail Hotel And Leisure Group, whose vision, hard work and generosity created such a spectacular event, and to Andrew Mikhail for his tremendous support."
She continued:- “We'd also like to thank the fantastic hosts and performers who gave their time and talent so generously, as well as all the businesses and individuals who donated raffle and auction prizes. Every contribution played a part in making the evening such a success. It was a wonderful celebration of our community coming together to support the hospice and the care we provide to local families. Every pound raised will help us continue to be there for people when they need us most, and we are truly grateful to everyone who helped make the evening so special.”