Over 700 attendees at BEN’s annual charity ball raised £160,000 at the event at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane.

Charles Davis, BEN's director of fundraising and communications, believes the charity was extremely fortunate to be able to proceed with the 2008 Ball as planned, as many similar charity and industry events have been cancelled or postponed due to lack of support.

Davis said: "Since its inception in 1927 the only time the Ball has not taken place was during World War II.

"If we had been forced to cancel, an industry that is proud to fly the flag of solidarity in supporting its people through BEN would have been defeated, and we are simply not an industry that would let this happen."

Davis said the ball traditionally raised runds in the region of £270,000, so the figure of £160,000 that was raised this year will affect the charity’s year end position.

However, Davis said BEN was still doing well and would continue to do everything in its power to ensure it can maintain the level of help it offers.