One of the highlights of the summer is the annual show ball held the week before the Royal Norfolk Show, and this year it will be supporting the Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Blind in its bicentenary year.

It will soon be time to bring out the bow ties and ball gowns as the summer season for balls gets under way around Norfolk.

One of the highlights of the summer is the annual show ball held the week before the Royal Norfolk Show, and this year it will be supporting the Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Blind in its bicentenary year.

On Saturday July 2 there will be a very special ball which is also being held at the showground to raise funds for the Louise Willgrass Tsunami Fund.

It is difficult to believe that nearly six months have gone by since we were all struck by those terrible television pictures of the devastation caused in Thailand and other countries.

When news began to filter through about local people losing their lives in the resorts, the whole disaster came much closer to home.

So many young people simply disappeared within minutes.

Many of us knew Louise Willgrass and there have been many tributes to her over the months for her vitality for life, her sporting achievements and most importantly her life with Nigel and their children.

To make a lasting memorial to such a special person, there is a great deal of hard work going on to raise funds to build a school in Thailand.

This will include an accommodation wing for orphans and UK gap-year students to spend some time helping with the running of the school.

It will also be a memorial to the many other British people who lost their lives in the tragedy.

You may have walked around the showground for two days that week but please go back on the Saturday evening and help to make this school a reality.

It's a very real way for people to support a wonderful project.

Tickets are £50 and they are available in multiples of six by calling 07803 129094.