Glamour and generosity: 46 pictures from the Time Ball as event breaks £1m barrier in aid of Marie Curie. The event and associated fundraising has raised more than £1m for Marie Curie. Hundreds of people turned out in style for one of the country's biggest fundraising events on Saturday - the Time Ball. And there was a double celebration at the Europa Hotel in Belfast as it was revealed that fundraising efforts have brought in an incredible £1m for Marie Curie. The event, held every two years, was hosted by former UTV presenter Pamela Ballantine in front over 400 guests - including artist Ben Mosley, whose live painting of Belfast on the night fetched £12,000 at auction. Guests also heard from Rachael Logan, whose dad Andrew passed away at the age of 58 after a terminal diagnosis. Andrew was diagnosed suddenly with cancer and had received end-of-life care at the Marie Curie Belfast hospice where he had been staying for the previous six weeks before he died. Marie Curie is the UK's leading end-of-life charity and services stretch beyond cancer, ranging from caring for those living with dementia, heart disease, motor neurone disease, Parkinson's, advanced cancer, or any other terminal illness. All money raised will be used to provide care and support to those in need, particularly over Christmas. Take a look at our gallery of photos from the night below. To find out more about the Time Ball and how you can support the charity, see the event's Facebook page or Marie Curie in Northern Ireland. Article continues below Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info

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Marie Curie launches end of life care service at Enfield hospital. 25/08/2026 Last Updated: 25/08/2026 End-of-life charity, Marie Curie, has launched a new specialist palliative care support service within the emergency department (ED) of North Middlesex University Hospital (NMUH) in Enfield. The service will see two Palliative Care Consultants, a Clinical Fellow and a team of Marie Curie Nurses and Healthcare Assistants working closely with hospital colleagues at NMUH to improve experiences for patients in the last year of life, and their families. The aim is to help identify patients with palliative care needs earlier during emergency admissions, support clinical decision-making and coordinate the most appropriate care, ensuring they are treated with dignity and that their wishes are met. The two-year project - set up and funded by Marie Curie in partnership with Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust - comes at a pivotal time, as recent Marie Curie research revealed that almost 1 in 3 people currently die without the end-of-life care they need. Further Marie Curie research has shown the demand for palliative care support in hospitals, as 1 in 8 people who died in England and Wales in 2023 spent more than 30 days in hospital during their last three months of life, and almost half visited the ED once or more. This demonstrates the need for more focus on supporting early discharges to patients' preferred place of care as well as better integration within community services to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. Dr Antke Hagena, Marie Curie Consultant and Department Lead for Palliative Care at NMUH NHS Trust, began working out of the ED in December 2024. The service saw 280 patients in the first six months, and for 73% of these patients this was their first contact with palliative care. To build on the success of this early work, a new team of two Marie Curie Nurses and two Healthcare Assistants were recently positioned in the ED - meaning even more patients will have access to end-of-life care and support. Antke said: "Many people nearing the end of life have to rely on ambulance and emergency services during periods of crisis, as most are not known to palliative care services. Sadly, this often leads to delays in receiving the best care, which can be deeply distressing for the individual, their loved ones, and the staff who care for them. "Over the past year and a half, we've already seen the huge difference integrated palliative care expertise can make to the experiences of ED patients at end of life, and their families. The feedback we've received has been incredibly positive, and I'm looking forward to expanding the service with the support of additional Marie Curie colleagues to make even more of an impact." Once the induction phase is complete, Marie Curie Nurses and Healthcare Assistants will work with NMUH teams to provide timely, high-quality palliative care in the ED through: * Early identification of people in the last year of life or at the end of life * Holistic person-centred palliative care assessments * Symptom management and practical support * Emotional support and information offered to patients and families, including discharge support and financial advice * Support with advance care planning and coordinated transfers to patients' preferred place of care Gem Davies, Head of Nursing and Quality at Marie Curie, is helping to lead the nursing team. She said: "What people at end of life need most is planned and compassionate support. Having palliative care experts embedded in NMUH ED means these patients can be identified faster and provided with the right care plan for them. In turn, this will also help reduce unnecessary hospital admissions in the last months of patients' lives. It's a hugely innovative service, and I'm proud to be part of it." Vicky Jones, Medical Director at North Middlesex University Hospital, said: "This is a hugely important project, which will make a real difference to people in our emergency department who are near the end of their life. Our teams will work closely with the Marie Curie team to ensure that patients and their families can receive compassionate care and support in a setting that is right for them." To find out more about Marie Curie and the services the charity provides, visit: mariecurie.org.uk.