A GARDEN party raised £16,000, and counting, for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre.

More than 120 guests from across the county attended an event at Skipwith Hall in Skipwith between York and Selby, which was held to raise funds for The Bridges in Hull, a residential treatment centre for ex-prisoners run by the Forward Trust.

Speakers included Michael, a former client of The Bridges, who spoke about how The Bridges had helped him to kick a life of crime and addiction; David Bernstein, chairman of Forward Trust; and Simon Reevell, chairman of The Bridges fundraising advisory group.

Charlie Forbes Adam, former chairman of the Bridges fundraising advisory group and ex-High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, hosted the special evening with his wife Rosalind.

He said: “Former clients from The Bridges, mostly ex-prisoners who are now living productive lives free from drugs, alcohol and crime, sold raffle tickets and helped to make the evening the success it was. It was incredibly life-enhancing and humbling to see how they have turned their lives around – all thanks to The Bridges.”

Michael, a Bridges graduate from Luton, told guests that The Bridges had given meaning and purpose to his life: “I was on a spiral of self-destruction, with low self-esteem and no hope. The counselling and friendship I have found at the Bridges has been amazing. The Bridges has been absolutely wonderful for me. I cannot thank everyone there enough.”

Laura Ganpot, events manager at the Forward Trust, said: “Without the kind support of the fundraising advisory group, who have been holding events in aid of The Bridges for over 11 years and have raised over £1million for us in that time, we simply would not be able to continue offering our life changing and life-saving rehabilitation services to those who need them the most.

“We are all acutely aware of the struggle to get funding to support The Bridges, both from public and voluntary income. The Fundraising Advisory Group has done an amazing job raising such a significant amount today, and in all of its impressive fundraising efforts across the year. We are truly grateful.”