Dragon’s Den star Duncan Bannatyne and Middlesbrough Football Club Chairman, Steve Gibson, were among 200 guests at the Riverside Stadium for the ‘Touch of Class’ event hosted by radio presenter Judie McCourt.

Auctioning an array of special items including hospitality tickets for an upcoming game at Middlesbrough Football Club, an Audi soft top for the weekend and Take That concert tickets, the fund-raising was off to a flying start with bidding topping £4,000 for a Shooting Experience at Busby Hall.

Hosting the paparazzi entrance, local actress and charity patron Elizabeth Carling made the journey back to Teesside to support the cause. Fame Academy star, Alistair Griffin also made a guest appearance with other entertainment being laid on by Tiller Girls and a live Jazz band. Fund-raisers also tried their hand on the giant scaletrix track and even pushed their luck on the casino tables before they danced the night away until the early hours.

The Holistic Cancer Care Centre, a self-financing charity, caters for around 150 patients and carers every week. The centre provides support and holistic care for cancer patients registered with the hospital’s oncologists and their carers. Complementary practitioners offer aromatherapy, reflexology, acupuncture, reiki, homeopathy, hypnotherapy and counselling.

Steven Bell, Owner of Chapters Hotel and Restaurant, said: “I would like to thank everyone who attended Friday’s event and those who kindly donated prizes for the auction.

“It was a fantastic evening and a substantial amount of money was raised for the Holistic Cancer Care Centre.”

Heather Goodwill, Acting Manager at the Holistic Cancer Care Centre, said: “The Holistic Cancer Care Centre is thrilled with the success of A Touch of Class. The event raised a vast amount of money for the charity and we are over the moon with the generosity of everyone who attended and showed their support.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Steven for his work with the Holistic Cancer Care Centre. A huge amount of hard work and effort has gone into organising this year’s event and I hope that everyone who attended thoroughly enjoyed the night.”