A CHARITY ball spearheaded by two Keighley businesses raised just over £4,000.

The event, on a Great Gatsby theme, was in support of the Nipple Innovation Project (NIP).

NIP provides free realistic 3D nipple tattoos to breast cancer survivors who have undergone mastectomies.

Founded in 2018 by Cullingworth woman Lucy Thompson, the charity works with a team of specially-trained tattoo artists across the British Isles.

The Glitz The NIP ball – held at The Arches, Halifax – was organised by MyDentist Keighley and K&Co Events, based at Mantra House.

Attractions included a welcome drink on arrival, a three-course meal, live entertainment, casino tables, a raffle and auctions.

Both Chris and Katie Luxford – of K&Co Events – and Connor Brett, from MyDentist Keighley, who led the organising team, have close relatives who've been impacted by breast cancer.

Katie said: "I wanted to support NIP as I lost my auntie to the disease.

"I suffer with self confidence, and I could not imagine going through what breast cancer survivors who've undergone mastectomies have experienced – not being able to look in a mirror and see themselves, only the devastation of scarring.

"When I met Lucy I saw something inside of her that desired real change for these breast cancer survivors; she wanted to help heal them physically and mentally."

Connor says the ball organising team decided around seven months ago that it wanted to support NIP.

"After meeting with the charity and understanding what it did it we were keen to support it in any way we could," he added.

"Millions of people in the UK suffer from cancer each year and we knew that if we could raise some money, this would go a long way.

"There's nothing more special than all the women and men who have used the charity, and at the ball we had the opportunity to hear their stories and learn how much confidence Lucy and the NIP team have given them."

NIP thanks the organisers, sponsors, prize donors and everyone who attended the event.

A spokesperson says: "It was a truly beautiful evening. There was so much joy and laughter.

"It’s incredible to see the support of people within the community wanting to help a small charity like ours."

For more about NIP, visit nipcharity.org