There’ll be flapper style and Charleston glamour at this year’s annual Mayor’s charity ball as the annual event, which raises thousands for charity, is held at the Copthorne Hotel on Friday 5 April.

200 tickets are available for the event which features a sit down three course meal, live entertainment, music, dancing, games, a charity auction, raffle and more. Tickets cost £38, but people are advised to book quickly as last year these sold out quickly.

While flapper dresses and spats are optional, the ball is an opportunity to dress up and enjoy an evening of civic celebration as it is also the venue for the prestigious Civic Awards. Each year, the awards recognise the borough’s unsung heroes in the fields of sport, art, community spirit, education, business and environment. Nominations are now open to the public.

Each award is sponsored by a local business drawn from the Mayoral Business Club, this year’s main sponsor of the Mayor’s Ball and Civic Awards is Lapal House care home. Councillor Alan Taylor, Mayor of Dudley, said:

"The Mayor’s Ball and Civic Awards provides an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of those people who give their time and energy to their communities and it’s a pleasure to be able to recognise their hard work at his high profile event.

"Last year’s tickets sold out really quickly, so I would recommend anyone wishing to come along to book as soon as possible. I’m looking forward to the ball itself but more importantly to meeting those dedicated people who help to make the borough a place we’re all proud to call home.”

People are being urged to nominate unsung heroes from the world of sport, art, community spirit, education, business and environment as part of the Civic Awards. The public now have six weeks to nominate the people who go above and beyond in their communities.

Local businesses have this year backed the awards which are all named after heroes of the borough. They include the Duncan Edwards award for sport, the Cedric Hardwicke award for arts, the Frank Foley award for community spirit, the Thomas Attwood award for education, the Mike Holder award for business and the William Shenstone award for environment.

Nominations for this year’s awards are now open online and people will be able to put names forward until Friday 8 March. You can also pick up a nomination form from libraries and leisure centres across the borough. 

Tickets for the combined event are now available to buy at mayorofdudley.org.uk/balltickets.