A charity ball staged in the shadow of the Cleveland Hills in May raised just over £59,000.

The Ball in the Hills event took place on May 11 at Forest Hill View in Potto, near Stokesley, the home of Abracadabra Marquees and Events.

Coming on the back of last year's Ball at the Barns, which raised £41,500, the two events from the same team of organisers have now raised more than £100,000 for good causes.

Half of this year's total has been donated to Herriot Hospice Homecare, while the other half is split between the Teenage Cancer Trust, Sir Robert Ogden Care Charitable Foundation, St Teresa's Hospice in Darlington, Melanoma UK, Yorkshire Cancer Research and St Leonard's Hospice.

The original fundraiser was the idea of Katie Matten, daughter of the well-known cheesemaker and businesswoman Judy Bell, of Shepherd's Purse, who died from bowel cancer in 2022.

Katie joined forces with Sophie Harrison, Tracey Ashton, Joanne Thompson, Kelly Shackleton, and Claire Ryder, all of whom have been personally affected or recovered from cancer, to organise both events.

Joanne thanked all those who had supported this year's event, with the large sum raised greatly aided by the donation of the marquee and venue by Abracadabra.

"The success is all down to the generosity of our sponsors, donors of auction prizes, the people who buy the auction prizes and all the people who attended," said Joanne. "We are just a cog in the wheel that makes it happen.

"To have raised £100,000 with two events – we're extremely humbled by people's generosity."