Bristol and Clevedon’s Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever raises £1,983 for SARSAS!

It’s Me, It’s Cathy, It’s for SARSAS

The celebration of the iconic song and music video is now a decade long international event known as The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever and our very own group of Kates have chosen to use this moment to shine a spotlight on sexual violence and fundraise for SARSAS. A community coming together to raise funds in such a different way is always exciting: it reaches a new audience, raises the profile of SARSAS, and helps more people hear about support they might not have known was available. It can also strike a chord with supporters and inspire new donations. Ultimately, community engagement like this leads to more support for survivors and a community better equipped to campaign against sexual violence.

What makes this fundraiser even more special is that The Bristol Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever is the only on land-and-sea version of the event, making it truly one of a kind. Its first year (2025) was an incredible success, raising over £1000 for SARSAS. The creative, heart-warming fundraiser quickly became a fan favourite in the SARSAS community with excitement already building for the 2026 edition

Bigger, better, and more Kates than ever

This year, that early momentum carried into a bigger celebration, with more dancers, more energy and even more people discovering SARSAS through the joy of Kate Bush. This year the group was also joined by The Bristol Bobbles, a synchronised swimming group, who adapted the routine to the water, adding to romantic wilderness of the day. So, on Sunday 26 July, just before the singer’s birthday, over 100 Kates, with their practised routine, put on their red dresses and headed out to share in the fun of Wuthering Heights.

Organiser Bridget Pairaudeau said, ‘It’s enormous fun learning the dance, it’s a real challenge as it’s not straightforward, and it’s not just for the ladies, we welcome everybody.’.

The Kates performance left everyone with feelings of joy and whimsy with dancers saying it felt ‘liberating’. The feeling of warmth was reflected in the influx of donations

on the day to SARSAS, showing how the event had not only lifted spirits but raised awareness of our work to a new audience.

Bridget also commented, ‘Last year we were all friends, so it felt a little bit scary open-ing the invitation to anyone who wanted to join us. We had no idea who was going to be there on the day. It was so exciting to see all the red dresses amassing. Everyone was immediately in the same groove. Geeing each other on, sharing lippie, adjusting wigs. And that was just the boys. [It was] great to come together and do something positive and joyful.’.

Why we need the Kates

Fundraisers like our fantastic Kates are vital because they do more than raise money: they bring people together, start conversations, and help more people discover that support from SARSAS is available. The generous donations from the day will help us continue providing specialist support for survivors, but the impact was felt even further. Many people shared thank-yous and stories about the difference SARSAS had made to family members, friends, and colleagues, reminding us how deeply this work is felt across the community.

Organiser Lorna shared, “Aside from the great work that SARSAS does, we liked that it covers both Clevedon and Bristol where we planned the events. It felt appropriate for song and some of us had worked or volunteered for SARSAS, so we knew about its work. What I loved most was the feeling of connection, fun and celebration which lingered on even after the event.”.

Moments like this show why creative community fundraising matters. It helps reduce silence and stigma around sexual violence, inspires new supporters to get involved, and strengthens the network of people standing alongside survivors. One Kate told us that the counselling she received from SARSAS was the best she had ever had- a powerful reminder of why every donation, every conversation and every red dress matters.

A huge thanks to organisers Nen, Lorna, Bridget and the gang for coordinating such a joyful and meaningful event, and for raising an amazing £1,983 for SARSAS. It is an incredible amount of money raised in such a creative way, and it will help us continue supporting survivors while bringing more people into the conversation. We can’t wait for next year.

If you are inspired by the lovely Kates give them a follow on Instagram @bristolwutheringheightsday, and @thebristolbobbles, and keep up to date with details for next year. If this has given you inspiration for your own fundraiser get in touch with Jenny and Evie from the fundraising team on fundraising@sarsas.org.uk and they would love to hear your ideas or help you get involved.