A Glitter Ball at the Selsdon Park Hotel on Saturday raised more than £8,000 for a small charity which provides education and support for children with autism and Asperger’s syndrome.

Big Brother’s Pete Bennett with charity founder Anna Kennedy at the Glitter Ball at the Selsdon Park Hotel at the weekend

Pete Bennett, off Big Brother, Jess Impiazzi, Holly Rickwood and Meg Rees, and Love Island’s John and Tony Alberti were among 160 guests attending the Anna Kennedy Online Glitter Charity Ball, where live entertainment was provided by Mitch Winehouse and his band and singer Lauren Lovejoy.

The event will now become an annual event.

“Our first Charity Glitter Ball was a huge success, and the feedback that we have had has been phenomenal,” said Kennedy, who was awarded the OBE in 2012 for her work in establishing the charity and establishing special schools.

“A massive thank you to all those who attended and for the ongoing support. For a small charity, these events are so important in raising funds and awareness, and it is always amazing to see the turn out and response.”

Ryan Wiggins, 14, who appears in a video which the charity made for Anti-Bullying Week, performed a duet with Mitch Winehouse at the ball.

“Ryan has achieved so much in the past year, and has worked hard for our charity. Ryan was a finalist at our Autism’s Got Talent event and has been heavily involved in the charity since. We are so proud of him,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy and her team at the charity are now working towards staging Autism’s Got Talent 2016 next May.

For more on the Anna Kennedy Online, click here.

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