A Preston business group has raised £14,826 in support of Trust House Lancashire.

BNI Diamond raised the money during a charity ball held at Ferrari’s Country House Hotel. The fundraising was part of a £220,000 charity commitment by BNI groups in Lancashire.

Trust House Lancashire, which is based in Preston, is one of 15 rape support centres established by the Home Secretary in 2013.

Trust House Service Manager, Catherine Smith, said, “Trust House Lancashire offers a safe place and is a specialist support service for those affected by rape and sexual abuse; women, men, children and young people.

“We believe that every individual has the right to be free from all forms of sexual violence and abuse.  Trust House Lancashire’s confidential services place survivors at the heart of what we do, and seek to empower individuals to work through and beyond their experience of abuse.

“The funds raised by BNI Diamond’s charity ball will help us meet our commitment to providing this kind of support into the future.”

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The Lancashire business group is part of the world’s biggest referral organisation, BNI, which has more than 200,000 members in over 70 countries. They organise weekly meetings for groups of businesses, known as chapters, who use their combined network of contacts to find business opportunities and referrals for one another.

In late 2017 the eleven chapters in Lancashire decided to gift a place to a chosen charity, and set the aim of each raising £20,000 per year for it.

For more information on Trust House Lancashire, visit their website.