The beautiful weather is not the only thing lifting the spirits at the Grove Theatre this May.

After two successful events raising a total of over £1200 for charity there is a real buzz surrounding the Grove and the local community.

On 21^st April, the Grove celebrated her first birthday with a production of The Naked Truth; a play that follows the story of 5 very different women all pulling together to raise money for breast cancer. To tie in with this worthy cause, the theatre held collections for Breast Cancer Care and Macmillan Cancer Support raising a total of over £700 that was split between the two charities.

Both charities hold many fundraising events to support their causes, taking action to support people living with cancer and shaping the future of cancer care. The Grove Theatre is delighted to have contributed towards their fundraising activities.

Then on 3 May the Grove held a very different event which will hopefully be the first of many to take place in the multi-purpose venue. 230 pupils from the Class of 2008 at Queensbury School, Dunstable attended the theatre for the event that every pupil looks forward to more than anything else in the year; the school prom!

The prom committee (Vanessa Robinson, Georgina Sells, Kirstie Skinner, Jenny Corbett and Sophia Merlo), in conjunction with the Grove Theatre, were the key organisers of this event which has turned out to be 'A MASSIVE SUCCESS' and is expected to be the first of many such events at the Grove.

The event included a full buffet, disco, a bar boasting a range of (alcohol - free!) cocktails, and an impressive chocolate fountain! The event was blessed with beautiful sunny weather and clear skies and it was quite a sight as people gathered outside the local bars to watch limos pulling up and the attendees walking through Grove Park towards the venue in stunning attire.

The management team at Grove Theatre were impressed by the hard work shown by the committee and this was all made worthwhile when they raised £500 for Keech Cottage Children's Hospice from the ticket sales for the event. The cheque was presented to John Helm (the Events Fundraiser representing the Pasque charity that runs both Keech Cottage Children's Hospice and The Pasque Adult Hospice) on 12^th May and the girls from Queensbury School were noticeably proud of their achievement (see image).

Keech Cottage helps children and their families across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and parts of Buckinghamshire. This care is provided at their hospice near Luton and through a community nursing team who work with families in their own homes. Children using the hospice have a wide variety of conditions but almost all will die before reaching adulthood. Keech Cottage not only helps the child that is suffering but also supports the whole family during the child's illness, at the time of their death and for as long as necessary afterwards.

Looking back on the last few weeks, the team at Queensbury School, Macmillan Cancer Support, Breast Cancer Care, The Pasque Charity and the Grove Theatre team are all very pleased at they way they have worked together to make a difference.

This is another promising contribution to community and charity activity at South Bedfordshire's new venue that is sure to continue in the future!