It's A Miracle!

The glittering eighth birthday party was held beneath the stars at Kensington's elegant Roof Gardens on Friday, a night, said the charity's founder Theo Ellert, when miracles literally fell out of the sky.

The 100 specially invited guests paid 200 a head for their tickets and wined, dined and danced the night away in support of Miracles' worldwide work for people in desperate need.

Christies' auctioneer Will O'Reilly conducted a money-spinning auction, in which one lot alone, a holiday in a magnificent villa in Mustique, sold for 10,000 to Maria della Bellacasa, a Spanish member of the charity's International Friends group.

There was also a tombola, with a host of top prizes, including signed sports books donated by broadcaster John Inverdale, which raised 3,000.

More generosity was demonstrated when Miracles' head of mission in Bosnia made a heart-rending appeal for two young Bosnia orphans, blinded by landmine explosions.

He asked for 24 party guests to stand up and each pledge 100 for special training, care and equipment for the orphans and in response, almost everyone rose to their feet.

But the most remarkable gesture came after a speech by Theo, ending with the words: "Miracles come from God, not man: we are merely privileged to be used as his agents in bringing them about."

One of the guests approached Theo with a cheque for 10,000 to "make more miracles happen".