A ‘TUTTI Frutti’ 1950s-themed ball held at The Mere has raised £40,000 for children’s cancer charity The Joshua Tree.

The event, held on November 11 by family-owned jam manufacturer F. Duerr’s and Sons, welcomed around 350 guests for an evening of rock’n’roll, a charity auction, games and a raffle – with prizes including diamond earring and an Armani watch.

Lyn Hill, founder and CEO of The Joshua Tree, said: “I was so proud of my son Josh who spoke at the Duerr’s Ball about his own personal battle with childhood cancer and how he’s received help and support from The Joshua Tree.

“It’s a phenomenal amount of money and will enable us to create an all-ability playground at our new family support centre in Sandiway when it is built next year.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Duerr’s and everyone who attended and supported the evening for their generosity, it will mean such a lot to our families.”

Mark Duerr said: “We had yet another great turnout and everyone really threw themselves into the 1950s theme with some amazing outfits.

“We’ve been supporting local charities with our annual ball for 18 years now and it’s great to see so many people continuing to make the effort to support us.

“We have now raised almost £700,000 for very deserving local charities and we’re delighted to have made a difference to the lives of families in the north west living with the effects of childhood cancer.”

The Joshua Tree was set up to provide tailored support for families affected by childhood cancer and currently works with around 100 families.

thejoshuatree.org.uk