ORGANISERS of a fund-raising dinner and auction at Salisbury Guild Hall were delighted the event raised more than £3,000 for the Regain charity.

"It was an excellent evening," said Trish Cowie who runs the Guilder Centre in Guilder Lane.

"We can't thank people enough. We really didn't expect to raise so much from the night."

Trish had been set the target of raising £2,500 to fund a charity cycle ride through Kenya in June.

The Regain charity is dedicated to improving the independence of British men and women who have become paralysed as a result of leisure or sporting activities.

In his welcome speech, Steve Duckworth - himself a tetraplegic following a rugby injury - praised the commitment of Trish and others across the country who will help contribute around £70,000 to the charity following the African cycle ride.

Among the items auctioned were an England women's rugby shirt worn in last year's World Cup Final in Barcelona. The item, signed by all the team including Salisbury rugby star Emily Cook (nee Feltham) who had donated the shirt, sold for more than £200.

Other lots included theatre tickets, an oil painting, a signed Jeffrey Archer novel, tennis lessons, rounds of golf at South Wilts Golf Club and Hamptworth and a Shirvana rug.

Framed pictures of footballers Wayne Bridge and David Beckham by Jour-nal photographer Roger Elliott raised a total of £107.