A winter ball in Cheltenham raised over £24,000 to help fund palliative care and bereavement support.

One hundred and forty guests attended the black-tie event at The Leonardo Hotel, enjoying a sparkling reception, seasonal three-course meal, auction and live music from The Chip Shop Boys.

The evening, sponsored by RE Recruitment, was hosted by Faye Hatcher and auctioneer Philip Allwood - star of Bargain Hunt, Flog It and Dickinson's Real Deal. Under Philip's expert eye, a number of exclusive lots went under the hammer, including afternoon tea at The Ritz and West End theatre tickets, generously donated by Ontic.

Guests also had the chance to take part in a champagne diamond raffle, kindly supported by RJ Spicer Goldsmith, with one guest winning a diamond worth £1,000.

This is the seventh year Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice has organised a charity Christmas celebration, which has so far helped raise over £165,000 for Sue Ryder.

Laura Jeffries, community fundraiser at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, said: "We were thrilled to once again host our Winter Ball and to welcome guests to a fabulous evening of festive fundraising. The room looked spectacular and everyone had a really fun night.

"We'd like to say a huge 'thank you' to our wonderful volunteers, who worked so hard to make the evening such a success and all the local organisations and individuals who have generously donated raffle prizes and auction lots. Thanks to our sponsors RE Recruitment and everyone supporting the event, we have raised over £24,000."

Richard East from RE Recruitment said: "It was an incredible evening and wonderful to see so many people coming out to support such a worthwhile cause. We are thrilled to be able to support Sue Ryder as a charity partner, as well as sponsoring this event, helping them continue to provide expert compassionate care and support to families going through the most difficult times of their lives."