MORE than £22,000 was raised to help blind and partially sighted people across Dorset, following a charity centenary celebration.

Dorset Blind Association (DBA) held its Centenary Ball at the Hilton Hotel in Bournemouth when more than 160 guests celebrated the 100th birthday of the charity with a red-carpet welcome, three-course dinner, casino, raffle and auction, plus music from Swing Unlimited Big Band.

Attendees also had the opportunity to meet charity patrons, Lord and Lady Julian and Emma Fellowes, and DBA President, James Weld. On display was an exhibition of the charity’s extensive history, featuring a timeline of its most important milestones in the past 100 years.

DBA chief executive Jonathan Holyhead, said: “The evening was a wonderful, happy way to help celebrate our centenary. I am absolutely thrilled by the amount raised and I cannot thank people enough for their generosity.

"This money will go towards the provision of future services and support for blind and partially sighted people across Dorset, so a great many people will benefit from it and on their behalf I want to say “thank you”, again, to everyone who helped make the ball such a huge success.”

The charity returns with a Masquerade themed ball next year on Saturday, October 26.

DBA receives no statutory funding, relying wholly on the support of the local community to keep vital services going. As part of it Centenary Celebration, the charity is running its 100 Club campaign, asking 100 people to donate £100 to celebrate 100 years of the charity.

To find out more, visit dorsetblind.org.uk.