THE founders of Help for Heroes said every penny raised for the charity was desperately needed as they attended a fundraising ball in Swindon.

Bryn and Emma Parry were among the guests at the event, held at the De Vere Village hotel in Shaw Ridge on Saturday, which raised more than £10,000 for injured and sick servicemen and women.

The ball, also well attended by members of the Forces, was organised by Colin Jackson, a former serviceman from Covingham.

The £10,231 which the night is expected to raise once money from a silent auction is collected, will go towards a personnel recovery centre at Tedworth House in Tidworth, Wiltshire.

The injured and sick will be helped with the intellectual and social aspects of their recovery, including through education programmes.

Mr Parry said: “Even though the repatriations through Royal Wootton Bassett have ended, we have to remember we are still taking casualties from the fighting and the long-term effects are both physical and mental.

“We are trying to create recovery centres around the country to help veterans prepare for the next phase in their lives.”

Tedworth House, which provides education, training and sport, is already operational.but will receive its official launch in September.

Mr Bryn also reflected on the success of Help for Heroes, which has raised more than £86m since being founded in 2007.

“The public always wanted to do something to help men and women who have chosen to serve their country,” Bryn said.

“What we have done is take away the politics and given people like Colin a lot of freedom to organise their events.

“We have taken care of everything else and ensured that, unlike other charities which have significant overheads, 98 per cent of donations go directly to the cause.

"A lot of time and effort goes into these events and they are hugely important. Every penny is desperately needed.”

Mr Jackson said the event had attracted fantastic support and tickets were already selling fast for next year’s ball.