A DAZZLING evening of entertainment raised more than £6,500 for a children’s charity.

More than 100 guests packed the Moot Hall, in Colchester, on Saturday to enjoy the annual Emerald Ball.

Donations and an auction helped raise the sum for the NSPCC.

As well as food provided by the Lemon Tree restaurant, the night included spectacular entertainment from Soul Kitchen, casino tables, caricature artists and fire-breathing stiltwalkers.

Katie Skingle, chairman for the Colchester NSPCC Business Group, thanked Lion Walk Shopping Centre, Feathers Hair Salons, Weston Homes and Weston Business Centres for their support.

She said: “We’re proud and pleased, and I am, as always, extremely grateful to my fellow committee members for their huge efforts and never-ending dedication to this worthy cause.

“Every year, we aim to hand over a bigger cheque to Colchester NSPCC projects than we did the year before.

“I’m pleased to say with the successful fundraising activities we’ve managed to achieve throughout this year we will indeed be able to do that again in 2010.”

NSPCC community fundraising manager Sally Phipps added: “We’re so pleased to have such a fantastic group of supporters in the form of the Colchester NSPCC Business Group, which has raised such wonderful sums to support the vital work of the NSPCC.”