Commonwealth Champion and Olympic swimmer Adam Whitehead (pictured) was guest of honour at a charity corporate event held by Haverhill recruitment agency 1st Stop Recruitment.

The event, at Ickworth House near Bury St Edmunds, was to celebrate the firm’s continued growth and its new look.

The reception and casino raised £1,000 for the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust which helps support and inspire the lives of young people across the UK.

The highlight of the event was Olympic swimmer Adam Whitehead Adam who told invited guests how he competed for Team GB in the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, in 2000 in the100m and 200m breaststroke.

Adam is former European and Commonwealth Champion and represented Great Britain for 10 years. He swam at five European Championships (gaining Gold in 1998 and Bronze in 1999 in the 200m breaststroke), two Commonwealth Games (winning Gold in 2002 for the 100m breaststroke, 2 silver medals and 1 bronze medal), and two World Championships (finishing just outside the medals, in 4th, in 1999) and became an Olympian in 2000.

Double Olympic Champion Dame Kelly Holmes said: “It’s fantastic my charity will be benefiting from 1st Stop Recruitment’s fundraising, with the money going towards getting more young lives on track. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved, and I’m sure the event will be a big success!”

Adam is the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust’s Athlete Programme Manager and he was accompanied to the event by the Trust’s Fundraising Officer, Alexandra Lines-Scrase. The Trust which helps support and inspire the lives of young people across the UK, was 1st Stop Recruitment’s chosen charity for the event.

Lesley Whiting, Director of 1st Stop Recruitment, said: “It was fantastic to see so many of our clients past and present at the event. They, along with many other businesses in Haverhill, have helped us raise a fantastic £1,000 to help the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust support and inspire the lives of young people across the UK.

“It was a great way to celebrate the continuing success of 1st Stop Recruitment, our expansion this year, and our new look branding.”

Many local businesses gave prizes for the charity raffle held at the event including AXA Insurance, Boots Haverhill, Zeiss, Chapman & Sons, the Woodlands Hotel, The Mens Room, D:Fine, Sarand business software, The Granary Estate in Newmarket, Cambridge Business Advisors, Ickworth Restaurant, Haverhill Research Park, Abbeycroft Leisure, Cambridge Jobs Now, Hanningtons Jewellers, Tony Strowger Jewellers, C&B Beautiful in Haverhill, STP Stationary, Fox & Hound pub in Steeple Bumpstead, and Thomas Williams.