News
Glamour with a goal: Fashion show raises thousands for charity
Winchester Rugby clubhouse swapped scrums for sequins on Wednesday evening as it hosted a sold-out crowd for a glamorous fashion fundraiser, raising more than £2,000 in aid of Breast Cancer Now.
The event was organised by local style and colour consultant Kate Moss-Jones, who drew on her own experience of breast cancer to bring together her passion for fashion and fundraising.
Guests were welcomed with prosecco and live music before browsing boutique stalls from across Winchester, including Mint Tea Boutique, SeagrassBay, Re:dress, Ellie & Bea, and H&B Style, who also contributed items to be worn on the catwalk.
Kate shared her personal story with the audience, recalling her diagnosis 18 years ago.
“It was very aggressive and had spread. My daughters were just four and five at the time, and I thought they would grow up without their mummy, just as my cousins had when my aunt died in her 30s,” she said.
She explained that the charity, then known as Breast Cancer Care, guided her through treatment and inspired her later fundraising efforts.
“I even went on to organise their annual fashion show in London for five years and worked with patients in Basingstoke Hospital to help them through chemo,” she told the crowd.
The evening’s catwalk show was the highlight, as first-time models (many of them Kate’s friends and clients) walked the runway to cheers.
Sequinned jackets shimmered under the lights, silk bras brought a touch of romance, and tailored trouser suits offered sharp sophistication.
Kate introduced each outfit, explaining the seasonal colour palettes of spring, summer, autumn and winter, which underpin her work with House of Colour.
Fashion, she told guests, had also played a role in her own journey: “When I was going through treatment, I wore wigs, my best colours and my best styles every day.
“Nobody knew unless I told them. It felt like a little victory over everything else that was happening.”
The atmosphere was friendly and celebratory, with the audience clapping, cheering, and even laughing when one model playfully pretended to stumble before flashing a grin.
Between the catwalk and boutique shopping, every ticket and purchase contributed to breast cancer research and patient care.
Kate added: “I love seeing local women supporting each other, all in the name of a great cause.”
Communities are encouraged to buy a poppy as this year’s Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal is launched in the lead-up to Remembrance Day.
The annual fundraising campaign supports members of the Armed Forces community, including veterans, personnel and their families.
The Poppy Appeal remains the Legion’s biggest annual fundraiser.
Last year, more than 32 million poppies were distributed across the UK, and about £51.4 million was raised in donations.
Chris Hayward is managing the Poppy Appeal in North Hampshire & Winchester and said: “Wearing a poppy during Remembrance time shows that you care.”
“It’s a national symbol, and it shows the armed forces community that you appreciate everything that they do.”
She added: “For those who want to get involved, you can wear your poppy, donate to the Royal British Legion, Poppy Appeal, and also participate in the collections and volunteer as a collector.”
Winchester will be recognising remembrance itself, with a service at the Cathedral on Sunday, 9th November, in addition to a service at Winchester Guildhall at 11 am on Armistice Day.
The service will begin at 9:20 am and will include a procession from The Broadway to Winchester Cathedral, as well as wreath laying too.
Donations from the campaign go towards services including mental health support, housing assistance and employment advice for veterans transitioning to civilian life.
For more information on how to donate, volunteer or order poppies online, visit: britishlegion.org.uk/poppyappeal.
Until 2093, asteroid 2025 PN7 will be sharing the Earth’s orbit.
You may have seen circuiting on social media a myth that the Earth has two moons from now until 2083 – sadly, that’s science fiction.
In August of this year astronomers discovered asteroid 2025 PN7.
It is considered a quasi-moon as it orbits the sun in a similar path to Earth.
According to Mike Shanahan, planetarium director at New Jersey’s Liberty Science Centre, the asteroid has been travelling “alongside Earth for 60 years”.
Due to the size of the asteroid, it wasn’t discovered until this summer.
Astronomy fans hoping to see a second moon in the sky are out of luck.
The asteroid is too small and far away to be seen by the naked eye or regular telescopes.
The number of asteroids in Earth-like orbit has been known to exceed 100.
Some orbit alongside the Earth for merely months, whereas others years or decades.
Currently, six other quasi-moons have been recorded near Earth.
Cardiff is the first UK city to introduce a “tax” for SUVs weighing over 2.4 tonnes.
The tax is to be enforced in residential permit areas, and also includes cars that are powered by diesel.
Cardiff Council is hoping that implementing this will improve congestion, the air quality, and create space on pavements.
The exact cost has yet to be announced, but the council has announced it will be releasing the tax in phases.
Winchester is a relatively small city with many residential permit areas – the question of a similar initiative being introduced locally has arisen.
Winchester City Council and Hampshire County Council chose not to respond to Winchester News Online, with Winchester City Council stating that it is not a subject a councillor is likely to comment on, as it is an issue relevant to Cardiff and not yet an issue to Winchester.
Though the council does not yet deem this a possibility, it has gotten the public talking.
Jet Gates, a disability campaigner, said:
“It’s going to have a massive impact on disabled people across the UK
“We are a highly marginalized group in society – it’s just yet another nail in the coffin.”
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