Stars turn out for a night of glamour at the Matalan Ball in aid of the NSPCC Safe Place Appeal

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Stars turn out for a night of glamour at the Matalan Ball in aid of the NSPCC Safe Place Appeal

Celebrities came from far and wide to Knowsley Hall for the Matalan Ball in aid of the NSPCC this September. Hosted by John Hargreaves, Chairman of Matalan Plc, Sir Cliff Richard, who attended with his good friend Cilla Black OBE, played to three encores from the rapturous audience.

It was always hoped that this year's ball would raise £1m but by the end of the night, the grand total had exceeded that by £90,000 – with donations still flooding in.

Cilla Black OBE and Sir Cliff Richard

After arriving in an endless stream of stretch limos, celebrities, sports personalities, property moguls and business high flyers went the extra mile to raise money for the Matalan - backed NSPCC Safe Place Appeal. Guests included Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, football pundit Alan Hansen, Coronation Street stars Tina O’Brien and her boyfriend Ryan Thomas and model Sophie Anderton. The Appeal was launched at a Matalan Ball in Knowsley Hall in 2004, where NSPCC ambassador Kylie Minogue was the guest of honour.

Star guest at the Ball this year, Sir Cliff Richard said before he took to the stage:

"We are all privileged people, everybody who has come here tonight is so fortunate and you have to put something back. The NSPCC is something that is close to everybody’s hearts and the Safe Place Appeal is so important to Liverpool."

Cilla Black OBE, who also knows John Hargreaves, took time to explain why The Safe Place Appeal is poignant to her in more ways than one.

She said: " The centre they are building on Great Homer Street is where my mother ran a second-hand clothes store on the market. I have got some wonderful memories of that market. My mother was known as Big Cilla, and of course I was little Cilla. That was where John started out, before Matalan. We come from the same area and it's great that he is so involved in an appeal that will do so much good for that area."

John Hargreaves added: "To me, the important thing about the Safe Place Appeal was that it was in Liverpool. Every penny raised here goes to helping children in and around this city."

The NSPCC Safe Place Appeal will be used to build a centre of excellence for abused children in Merseyside on Great Homer Street, Liverpool. Among other things, it will house pioneering services for victims of domestic abuse and pregnant mothers addicted to drugs.

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