LAST weekend’s Fulflood Ball raised a whopping £20,000 for Home-Start Winchester, a charity which helps some of the city’s most vulnerable families.

Over 400 guests attended the sumptuous evening sponsored by Belgarum Estate Agents and staged at Peter Symonds College.

More than £11,000 was raised through a Silent Auction, for which prizes included dinner at Limewood House Hotel, tickets to see the Foo Fighters, and holidays in France and on Paphos.

A bottle of House of Commons Sparkling Wine signed by both David Cameron and Ed Miliband, which was donated by Winchester MP Steve Brine, went for £335 - on the basis that it was inscribed with the signature of “the next prime minister”.

“We had two main aims, to bring the community together and raise money for a local charity,” said ball committee member Catherine Skinner.

“Most of the committee workers are parents and Home-Start is an organisation which really helps local families.

“We’re thrilled that the evening was such a huge success – everyone had a really, really good time.”

* See Thursday's Hampshire Chronicle for more pictures of the evening.