Ten amateur dancers raised almost £5,000 for Inspire Suffolk at the weekend in a Strictly Come Dancing style event.

Ipswich Star: The Strictly Come Dancing event raised almost �5,000 for Inspire SuffolkThe Strictly Come Dancing event raised almost �5,000 for Inspire Suffolk (Image: Zoe Gibbs Photography)

More funds expected to be donated over the next few weeks, which will benefit programmes for local young people in Suffolk.

The event, sponsored by Ryan’s, was held in the charity’s Main Hall in Ipswich. The participants had little or no previous dance experience and trained for 10 weeks with dancers from Ipswich School of Dancing. They performed a range of routines including jives, cha cha chas, waltzes, quicksteps and rumbas.

Amanda Ward,from Inspire Suffolk, said: “This year’s event has by far been the biggest, raising more than we ever have and the standard of dancing was fantastic.”

Ipswich Star: The Strictly Come Dancing event raised almost �5,000 for Inspire SuffolkThe Strictly Come Dancing event raised almost �5,000 for Inspire Suffolk (Image: Zoe Gibbs Photography)

Ipswich Star: The Strictly Come Dancing event raised almost �5,000 for Inspire SuffolkThe Strictly Come Dancing event raised almost �5,000 for Inspire Suffolk (Image: Zoe Gibbs Photography)