A black tie ball at Windsor Racecourse has raised £6,000 towards the cost of a new home for the town's hospice.

Members of the fundraising Windsor Lions charity teamed up with managers at Thames Hospice in Hatch Lane to stage the ball at the Riverbank Marquee at the racecourse.

There was a double purpose to the event which also celebrated the 58th anniversary of the Windsor branch of the Lions being formed.

But the main aim was to support the ongoing building near Bray Lake of a new home for the hospice, which had become increasingly cramped on its current site.

Guest of honour at the ball was actress Sue Holderness who played Marlene in the long running series Only Fools and Horses and who lives in Windsor with her husband Mark Piper, the former Managing Director of the Theatre Royal.

She has been an official Thames Hospice ambassador for years.

Also at the ball was the hospice's director of fund raising Sarah Bissell, the deputy mayor of the Royal Borough Cllr Colin Rayner, his wife Cllr Samantha Rayner, Lions vice district governor Jarvis MacDonald plus Lions and Rotarians from across the area.

It was the first time Lions and Rotarians had teamed up like this in the area and Windsor Lions President Diane Purchase said: "The saying ‘two heads are better than one’ is proving to be the case here as the combined experience of both our organisations made it a fantastic evening with a great result in raising over £6,000 for the new build.”

Sarah Bissell, Director of Fundraising at Thames Hospice, added “It was a great evening and everybody without exception thoroughly enjoyed themselves."