Charity dinner raises thousands

A guest appearance by city boy and Olympic gymnast Louis Smith made for a successful evening of fundraising for a Peterborough charity

Louis was joined by TV personality and guest speaker Paul Ross for the black tie event, held in aid of the NSPCC’s Peterborough Business Support Group.

The Holiday Inn West in Thorpe Wood, Peterborough was the venue for the evening, which saw around 180 people enjoy a drinks reception, three course meal, raffle and auction. Almost £6,000 was raised in total on the night, with a further £4,000 being donated from the Holiday Inn West, an amount that had been raised by the hotel through a number of events held over the last 12 months.
Every penny of the total will go to directly benefit vulnerable local children and young people in the Greater Peterborough area.

Chairman of the Peterborough Business Support Group, Chris Collier said:

Thanks to the generosity of our local people and businesses, the total funds raised since the group’s inception in 1996 has now topped £550,000, 90% of which has come from private funding

Those in attendance put their money to good use, with auction and raffle prizes including a Mulberry handbag, a Kindle Fire and a week’s holiday in Florida, to name a few.

Signed memorabilia from Louis Smith was snapped up for £800, and fierce bidding for two tickets to see Olly Murs at the Embankment in June raised a staggering £1,200.

Organiser Carol Bunning added:

We’re so glad both Louis and Paul were able to join us in raising money for such a well-deserving cause. Their presence on the night helped to create such a fantastic atmosphere, it was definitely an evening to remember

https://www.nspcc.org.uk