CASTLE
CHARITY
BALL
Castle Charity Ball is one of University College's biggest annual events. The lead organiser is the Castle MCR Ball Chair (an elected position on the Executive Committee) who is supported by the Castle MCR Ball Committee (a team of enthusiastic and creative Castle MCR Members)
ABOUT OUR BALL
At this annual ball, we welcome hundreds of Durham Postgraduates and guests into Durham Castle for an amazing night of food and entertainment!
A key objective of the ball is to raise a huge sum of money to selected charities through ticket profits and donations. Durham University is a privileged establishment and at Castle MCR, we believe giving back to our local community is paramount. This ties in with our college motto, 'Non Nobis Solum', meaning 'Not for ourselves alone' in latin.
Castle MCR raised £4400 at our 2021 ball, The Crystal Ball. Additionally, we raised over £8000 at our two previous charity balls: Mythos (2020) and Camelot (2019).
Presenting...
Castle Charity Ball 2022
Join us for 'A Ball Through Time' as we celebrate Castle's 950th anniversary and travel through the ages into an array of different eras. From when Vikings ruled Britain, through the Victorian era, all the way to the golden age of Rock N Roll! The evening will be packed with food, drinks, adventure and entertainment until 2:00am on the night of June 4th!
Last year’s ball featured a variety of ents and acts including drag sensation Joe Black, live bands, fire breathers, live birds of prey, swing boats, battle re-enactments, lutenists, a ceilidh, casino, mini-golf and much more! This year's ball is set to be just as grand and spectacular!
TICKET INFO
There are two ticket types: Dining & ents
A dining ticket includes:
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Complimentary alcoholic/non-alcoholic drink at a welcome reception.
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Four-course meal in the Durham Castle Great Hall (menu will be announced soon but all dietary requirements can be catered for).
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Access to a range of entertainment, live acts, photography (and lots more!) from arrival time (approx. 6pm) to finish (2am) across the Castle!*
An ents ticket includes:
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Complimentary alcoholic/non-alcoholic drink at a welcome reception.
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Access to a range of entertainment, live acts, photography (and lots more!) from arrival time (approx. 8pm) to finish (2am) across the Castle!*
Dining ticket prices are as follows:
- £75 for Castle MCR Members
- £92 for all others
Ents ticket prices are as follows:
- £42 for Castle MCR Members
- £59 for all others
Those from all colleges are welcome to apply! Even though this is a postgraduate run ball, undergraduates are welcome! We will be asking for everyone’s affiliation though so we can ensure that the priority system is met.
We will not be asking for food or drinks preferences in this form. If successful, you will be contacted at a later date requesting your dietary requirements, meal choices (e.g. meat/vegetarian/vegan option) and table groups/plans etc.
In the form, there is an option where you can choose to automatically be assigned an ents ticket should you be unsuccessful in securing a dining ticket.
*Exact event format dependent on public health restrictions.
PRIORITIES
Tickets will be allocated for both dining and ents on a first come, first served basis, within each priority group.
The order of priority for dining and ents tickets is as follows:
(1) Castle MCR Members ‡
(2) Durham University Postgraduates. Castle MCR alumni.
(3) All others
(Note: We will be checking names in the priority brackets. Anyone who applies for a priority group that they do not belong to will be barred from ball attendance.)
‡ University College (Castle) postgraduates who do not have Castle MCR Membership are included in priority bracket (2)
GUEST S
The max number of guest spots when applying for a dining ticket is: 1 guest (+£92).
The max number of guest spots when applying for a ents ticket is: 3 guests (+£59 per guest).
Guests can be either Durham University student/staff or non-Durham University affiliated (which will be asked on the form when applying for guests). However, please note that guests are not guaranteed.
In the form, there is an option where you can choose to move with your guest to an ents ticket if they are unsuccessful in gaining a dining ticket so you won’t be split up.
FORM INFO
The application form will be a Google form which will go live at exactly 15:00 (3:00pm) on Wednesday 9th March! We are expecting incredibly high demand for ticket types, though especially dining, so please be prepared to sign-up quickly to avoid disappointment! The form has been tested by the Castle MCR Ball Committee so it takes everyone a similar amount of time to fill-in.
You will be asked to fill in your email twice on the form:
Firstly, so you are able to receive a receipt of how you filled in this form for your records.
Secondly, the email we will use to contact you regarding your application/tickets.
Please ensure your information, especially your email address, is correct. If it is incorrect, we won’t be able to contact you and it will affect you application.
If you are a Durham University student, we recommend you use your Durham University email. Castle MCR Members are requested to have their full name email (which you use to sign-up to Castle Dinners and Formals with) as this will be validated on the form.
You will not receive an email confirmation from the ball committee immediately after completion of this form. Please wait up to 3 weeks for confirmation on your place. Successful applicants will be sent a payment link for Event Durham, along with a deadline for payment for your allocated ticket(s).
SIGN-UP
The application form will go at exactly 3:00pm on Wednesday 9th of March, closing one-week later at 2:59pm on Wednesday 16th of March here:
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions not addressed here, please contact: balltickets.castlemcr@durham.ac.uk.
For all other enquiries please contact Castle MCR Ball Chair Mike Merriam at: ballchair.castlemcr@durham.ac.uk
This year our chosen charities are Castle Community Action (CCA) and Wearside Women In Need.
We are proud that we will be donating 80% of the ball profits between these two charitable causes equally †. We are also fundraising by encouraging attendees and others to donate to top up our total donation amount.
†80% of the direct profit made from this year’s MCR charity ball will be donated to the chosen charities. In compliance with the MCR’s standing orders, 20% of the direct profit made from this year’s MCR charity ball will be added to the ‘future MCR charity ball insurance fund. If you would like further clarification on our donations policy, please contact the Castle MCR Treasurer at treasurer.castlemcr@durham.ac.uk. You can find a copy of our standing orders here: https://www.castlemcr.co.uk/documents.
Follow our Instagram to keep up to date with our plans and announcements:
The Crystal Ball 2021 (@castlecharityball) • Instagram photos and videos
INSTAGRAM: