Team Hill Charity Dinner 2025 in Oldham raises funds

If you walked past the banqueting suite on the first of October, you'd have heard laughter spilling through the doors like music from an open pub window. Inside, neighbours who normally nod at each other in the supermarket queue were sharing gravy boats and swapping stories over candlelight, all because Steve Hill and his small band of volunteers decided years ago that 'posh' and 'purpose' could share the same table.

The night moved in gentle waves. First came the clink of cutlery and the low hum of anticipation, then Faz Shah's violin soared above the room and suddenly every age group was on its feet. Between courses, The Jon Penn Show had grandparents cackling at gentle mickey-taking, and Neil Aylett's guitar chased the last crumbs of treacle tart into memory.

Steve Hill, who started the trust after seeing first-hand how a few quid can flip a life in Uganda, watched the tally climb and felt the same quiet shock he always does. "The generosity of our supporters never fails to amaze us," he admitted later, sounding more like a stunned dad than a seasoned fundraiser. By the final encore, the room had promised enough to patch up a clinic roof in Mbale and keep a domestic-abuse helpline in Oldham answering after midnight.

Guests left clutching printed photographs by Chris Marshall, each image catching someone mid-laugh or mid-dance, proof that charity doesn't have to wear a solemn face. One woman tucked hers into her handbag and declared, "I'll be back next year-save me the same seat." She already knows the date: Saturday, 9 October 2026, the next Posh Dinner pencilled in before the confetti was even swept away.