Charities Trust lends a hand and helps make The Festival of Trees raise even more for Save the Children

The Festival of Trees Gala Dinner took place on 4 December at London's Natural History Museum. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal - President of Save the Children is introduced to the main organisers of the event Founder and supporter Gordon Campbell-Grey and Lorraine O'Brien, Chief Executive Charities Trust.

Radio Two DJ Chris Evans and his new wife Natasha Shishmainan, Absolutely Fabulous actress Joanna Lumley, singer Ben Ofoedu, Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis and TV presenter Konnie Huq were just some of the famous stars attending the dinner. Designers such as Sophie Conran, Jamie Oliver and the students from Fifteen restaurant and women from the Talking Beads Co-operative, South Africa created fabulous bespoke trees which were on display.

Accompanied with luxury gifts or experiences, the trees were auctioned during the evening and a silent auction also ran throughout the night with fabulous gifts on offer. A further new fundraising initiative introduced by Lorraine O'Brien of Charities Trust, was the pledge to hang a bauble on one of the three Christmas Trees in the room, this alone raised £100,000.

Gifts donated included luxury holidays to South Africa and Kenya, a dinner for two at a top London restaurant with four of the Rugby World Cup Squad and a chance to watch Chelsea vs Everton from the director's box. The event raised an amazing £715,000 for our work to help transform children's lives around the world.

Everton FC was introduced to the event by Charities Trust Chief Exectuive Lorraine O'Brien, and with Lorraine's help the Everton FC Toffee Tree raised the most money in the history of the Festival of Trees, the total amount was £60,000 alone.

Lorraine said "Everton FC are proud to support this event and reaffirms Everton FC's position as the football club whose focus is not only to be at the top flight in the Premier League but to be The Peoples Club and has the community at its heart".

Classical quartet Blake performed as part of the evening's entertainment and a video diary featuring a recent trip to Bangladesh taken by Davina McCall, the well-known TV presenter who has hosted Big Brother, and Gordon Campbell Gray, Chairman of the Festival of Trees. They visited projects for working children supported by Save the Children.