A CHARITY night held by the Dorset Echo in aid of the Will Mackaness Trust has raised £1,740 for the fledgling Weymouth cause.

The quiz and curry night was attended by 105 people and held at Weymouth College.

Dorchester town crier Alistair Chisholm acted as quizmaster and curry was served by the college’s catering staff.

An auction of charity lots donated by local businesses and individuals raised £460.

Raffle prizes were also donated for the cause and Langton Herring singer songwriter Sarah De Warren, provided entertainment by performing for guests.

Among the tracks she performed was her self-penned award-winning song Tear It Up.

The Fleet Student Restaurant was decked out in Team GB colours in honour of the Olympic theme.

All profits from the evening will go to the Will Mackaness Trust, the Echo’s charity of choice this year.

Pam Govier helped set up the charity in memory of her son Will, who lost his battle with a brain tumour in 2008.

Former Wey Valley School head boy Will had a love of watersports and used to windsurf at Overcombe and surf in North Devon.

Wey Valley teacher Pam said the charity night was ‘a fantastic evening’.

She said: “£1,740 is a great amount raised for the trust.

“It was absolutely incredible and fantastic to see. There was such a fantastic range of people there and not just people who knew Will, people from different walks of life.

“There were people there who didn’t know much about the Ttust and to have them come along was wonderful.

“I hope that it showed people a bit about what the trust does.”

The evening was organised by the Echo’s editorial team.

The Dorset Echo donated £300 to the trust by purchasing two Bring on the Games stickers which were signed by Team GB’s sailing stars.

The money raised will help form the borough’s Olympic legacy and nurture the talent of young sailors who have been inspired by the sailing events of London 2012.

It will also help give youngsters a chance to experience water sports.

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP

Echo would like to thank the following local businesses and organisations for their generosity: Weymouth College, SailLaser, Team GB sailors, WH Smith Weymouth, Weymouth College Adventure Academy, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council , Train With Charmaine, The OTC, Alistair Chisholm, Sproston and Bowden opticians Dorchester, Diana and Norman Apps, Monkey World , Mat Follas and the Wild Garlic restaurant in Beaminster, Quaint Cakes, Janine Hodson, Sega, The Body Shop Weymouth, Twist and Pulse, The Fun Factory, The Stables Weymouth, Starbucks Weymouth, Alf’s Fish and Chip Shop, Andrew Care opticians Weymouth, Rosie Barfoot, Moores Biscuits, Morrisons Weymouth, Asda Weymouth, Weymouth Fitness Camp, Richard Smith and Weymouth Harbourside Rotary Club.