A GLITTERING ball staged to raise money for a North-East charity has been hailed a resounding success.
About £70,000 is likely to have been raised at the Rainbow Trust's annual ball, in Newcastle, where 1980s band Go West entertained 300 guests.
The event, which had a white tie and diamonds theme, played host to a string of celebrities, including Sir Bobby Robson - a long-standing patron of the trust - Paul Gascoigne, the cast from Byker Grove and the Falcon's rugby team.
The ball is a major event, both for the Durham charity and the region's fundraising calendar.
A team of dedicated local volunteers spends six months preparing for the event, which raises more than 30 per cent of the charity's local income.
Trust spokesman Trudy Millar said: "Everyone was dancing until the early hours. It was a massive success and we are expecting to have raised £70,000 through the event."
Over the lifetime of the event, the ball has raised £415,000, enabling Rainbow Trust Children's Charity to support hundreds of sick children and their families across the region - both through practical and emotional support.
Rainbow Trust provides a vital service to families, who have a child who has been diagnosed with a life threatening or terminal illness.
From diagnosis, through bereavement and beyond Rainbow offers practical and emotional support and care both in the families' own home and in two respite houses.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article