A MAJOR appeal to raise money for disabled youngsters saw ten per cent of its £300,000 total raised at a stroke by a fundraising ball.

The event at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, held by the Allied Irish Bank (AIB), raised £30,000 for charity Rose Road's Change My Life Appeal.

The appeal aims to raise £2,000 for each of the 150 young people who attend Rose Road.

Ex-Hampshire and England cricketer Shaun Udal conducted an auction on the night with prizes such as lunch for six at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant at Claridges in London which went for almost £4,000.

The most popular event on the night was the champagne and diamond raffle, which saw guests pay £25 for one of 100 numbered glasses of champagne with a chance to win a £1,750 diamond bracelet.

Gary Thomasson of The Rose Road Association said: "We are extremely thrilled and moved by everyone's generosity.

"I would like to say a very big thank you to everyone at Allied Irish Bank Southampton for supporting our Change My Life Appeal. We have set ourselves a £300,000 target and the £30,000 raised on Saturday night has helped get us off to a great start."

AIB's Paul Cripps said: "This was our first fundraising event, but it won't be the last. I'm delighted that the amount raised at the ball, combined with the £1,000 the bank donated last year, brings the total raised so far for The Rose Road Association to £31,000. Our heartfelt thanks go to our customers and their guests for their continued and outstanding generosity."