MORE help will soon be available to pregnant women in need of urgent advice, thanks to this year's Marriott Charity Ball.

The town's pregnancy crisis centre will be given a £2,000 boost which will be used to train new counsellors in giving pre and post-abortion advice.

The centre, which is run entirely by volunteers, offers help and guidance to women at all stages of pregnancy and assists them in decision-making.

Maggie Hartridge, the manager of the centre, said: "Women call in to see us and are often in desperate need of help and guidance in making the right decision.

"The money we'll receive from the ball will enable us to train even more volunteers so that there will be more help available.

"The money is a great boost to us. It will make a real difference."

The centre can only afford to open three days a week at the moment but it is hoping to extend its opening hours once the new volunteers have been trained.

They will undertake 50 hours of training on two courses, one on handling crises, the other on abortion advice.

Another organisation looking forward to benefiting from the charity ball is the Well Women Centre, in Milton Road.

Its £6,000 grant will be spent on buying Reflotron machines, blood analysis machines which can test for illnesses such as diabetes an anaemia.

The machines will enable nurses at the centre to take blood samples and then give the results to their clients immediately.

Elizabeth Foley, of the Well Woman Centre said: "It was fantastic to learn that we had been awarded this money.

"It is a marvellous amount of money that will allow us to continue offering a high level of service at the centre and to really help the people who come here.

"The machines have obvious benefits they cut down the time clients have to wait for results and means nurses can offer advice and support immediately."

Staff at the Well Woman Centre which now also offers a male health check service first applied for cash from the charity ball after seeing an article in the Evening Advertiser.

The ball, now a major event in Swindon's social calendar, is in its 16th year and has generated more than £400,000 for local charities since it first began.

The event's main sponsor is Nationwide, which matches all the cash raised pound for pound.

The Evening Advertiser is also backing the ball, which includes dinner, dancing and an auction of goods donated by local businesses.

The ball takes place on May 8, at the Swindon Marriott Hotel. Tickets are available from Alison Breakspeare on 01793 655064.

Individual tickets cost £70 or are available as tables of 10, price £700.

A deposit of £10 will be required and cheques should be made payable to The Charity Ball.

Alternatively, visit www. thecharityball. org.