On Tuesday, 9 June local charities took to the stage at The Exchange, Twickenham, to pitch for funding from local philanthropists, businesses, and residents.

The Dragons' Den- inspired event was organised by OneRichmond, the borough's place-based giving charity, in a first for the Richmond borough.

Renowned sports broadcaster and TV presenter Jim Rosenthal lent his support as host for the evening.

Councillors, businesses, and many local residents were in attendance, with the audience numbering almost 200.

Six charities took to the stage, including MTV Youth Hampton; Richmond Mencap; The Mulberry Centre; Otakar Kraus Music Trust; Richmond Borough Mind; and Brighter Together.

In total, they received £23,000 of funding from the four 'Dragons', with intergenerational charity Brighter Together receiving the highest award at just shy of £6,000, and local youth club MTV Youth Hampton close behind on £5,939.

Jim Rosenthal acted as host for the event (Image supplied)

The event was very well received by the audience and charities alike.

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Musical performances, interactive pitches, and powerful stories all contributed to an entertaining evening celebrating and developing community connections.

"We're grateful to have been part of such a special evening", noted presenters for Richmond Mencap.

Acting as 'Dragons' for the night were: Lord John Lee, local philanthropist and financial journalist; Chanade Ramsay, regional Social Value Lead for construction company Kier; Will le Fleming, headmaster of Richmond Hill's new independent school, Thomas's College; and Sylvia Parsonage, founder and Principal of law firm Parsonage & Co.

Together they helped to provide vital support for all six charities who took to the stage to pitch.

After the success of its inaugural Dragons' Den-inspired charity event, OneRichmond says it is looking forward to developing the format for future fundraising events.

To stay up to date, you can head to onerichmond.org.uk and subscribe to its newsletter.