THE first Women to Inspire Me celebration dinner at a Bournemouth hotel raised more than £3,000 for a Poole hospice.

Founded by Donna Kenny and Michelle Bartlett, it is a chance for women to get together and inspire one another and the dinner, in aid of the Lewis-Manning Hospice, took place at the Cumberland Hotel, raising £3,167.

Donna, a clinical hypnotherapist working in Poole and London, attended one of Michelle's Live Laugh Love Ladies Club lunches and approached her with an idea for the dinner.

“Through my work I meet many amazing strong and courageous women, and the Women to Inspire Me Dinner was a celebration of all women and their amazing qualities," said Donna.

"I wanted to create magic and to inspire and uplift women - with inspirational guest speakers, to remind us all of the great qualities women have."

Guest speakers were Anne Bartlett, Julie Creffield and Shann Nix Jones who shared their amazing stories with the audience.

Anne was diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer five years ago and was included in a clinical trial for a new drug. Julie is a plus size athlete, author and entrepreneur from East London on a mission to get one million overweight and inactive women running.

Shann Nix Jones, a former American radio talk show host started a business that became a natural health phenomenon after moving to Wales and falling in love with a goat farmer. She used raw goats milk to cure her little boy's asthma and eczema and found herself fighting to save her husband's life from a superbug infection using only natural remedies from the farm.

"Women are incredible, and together in a room, they create magic. I want all women to believe in themselves, just enough to take a chance in life and become who they really want to be," said event organiser Michelle Bartlett.

The next Women to Inspire Me event will be a One Stop Styling Day on February 28 at the Cumberland Hotel. The day includes lunch and refreshments for £69. More information on the website womentoinspire.me.