WITH just a few Charity Ball tickets left there is no time to waste to show your support for worthy causes across Swindon.

The event founded by the Rotary Club of Swindon and the Swindon Advertiser will be held at the Marriott hotel in Old Town on May 16.

Over the past 27 years it has raised £670,000, with donations ranging from £1,000 to £49,000.

Among recipients is homeless charity Threshold Housing Link, which was awarded £22,270 to refurbish its resettlement homes and hostels in 2002.

Babs Harris, business manager at Threshold, said: “Donations from the Charity Ball are vital for a charity like Threshold.

“We receive very little undesignated funding which we are able to use for the upkeep of our hostels – the last time we were the lucky recipients of a Charity Ball donation was in 2002 and we received £22,270.

“This money was spent on four suites of lounge furniture for the resettlement houses, a commercial washing machine and tumble dryer for the direct access hostel, new carpets, curtains and fundamental kitchen equipment for the hostels.

"All these additions contributed to turning a roof over people’s heads into something resembling a home.”

Funds raised at the Charity Ball also allowed Swindon Carers Centre to create a Family Fund, to offer breaks for carers of all ages and their relatives.

Since 2007, it has donated £12,000 to the organisation.

Cath Johnston, Swindon Carers Centre chief executive. said: “The Charity Ball made a real difference to Swindon Carers Centre by enabling us to set up a Family Fund which supports carers of all ages to take a break with the person they care for, such as a holiday or day out.

"This is a vital resource to allow opportunities for whole families to create lifelong memories together.”

This year, a handful of deserving causes have been selected by organisers to receive a total of £20,000.

They are Upland Educational Trust, Swindon NSPCC, Headway Swindon and District, Clivey and Twist Children and Young People’s Project and the Great Western Hospital’s charity Brighter Futures.

“It is the largest charity ball in the town and it is there to benefit anyone who needs it,” said Tim Hanley, chairman of the Charity Ball committee.

“That’s what makes it so special.

“We keep supporting charities; they always need pieces of equipment or help with a project. We tell them to keep applying.

"It’s great when the charities come back to us and tell us what they’ve done with the money we’ve donated.”

To book or for more details, call 01793 813147 or email susanjharding@btinternet.com