THE memory of community stalwart Doreen Dart will be remembered at the Charity Ball this evening.

The event, which is organised by the Rotary Club of Swindon, is taking place at the Marriott Hotel in Old Town and will raise funds for seven charities.

Deacons, in Wood Street, has donated a £4,000 ring in honour of councillor and former Charity Ball committee member Doreen, who died of lung cancer in October at the age of 84.

Richard Deacon, owner of Deacons, said: “This year for the Charity Ball we are holding Doreen’s Diamond Draw in memory of Doreen Dart.

“For many years she helped us sell draw tickets on the night. This year we thought it would be appropriate to give a diamond cluster ring that I know Doreen herself would have definitely admired.”

The piece of jewellery is an 18- carat, yellow and white gold diamond, seven stone cluster ring.

As well as being a long standing councillor, Doreen, a retired teacher, had been on the committee for the Charity Ball since the 1980s, and helped to raise more than £600,000.

Richard said: “The Charity Ball has been going for 25 years but it is poignant this year because of losing Doreen in the last 12 months.

“For many years she wasan absolute stalwart in terms of raising money towards all our chosen charities. She will be greatly missed at this year’s event.”

Swindon Women’s Aid, CALM, Swindon Carers Centre, Phoenix Toy Library, Ridgeway Breast Care Support Group, The Fluency Trust and Toothill Junior Youth Club have been chosen as beneficiaries of this year’s event.

Draw tickets for the ring are being sold for £20 on the night. In previous years the draw alone has raised more than £2,000.

Deacons has been supporting the Charity Ball for the past 15 years.

“If Doreen was here I think her words would be ‘that’s a sparkler, isn’t it’. She used to say to me ‘come on Richard show me your sparklers’,” said Richard.

“We want to give something back to the community through charity work.”

Over the years the ball has enjoyed the support of many businesses, including Zurich, Nationwide and npower, as well as Deacons the Jewellers, the Marriot and the Adver.

This year’s event has been titled The Glitter Ball.