GENEROUS diners dug deep into their pockets to help former Stourbridge rugby player Paul Barker during the club's prestigious May Corporate Lunch.

A tremendous total of 800 guests attended the high profile lunch at the club's Stourton Park headquarters where they were entertained by three former legends of British Lions rugby in the shape of John Bentley, Shane Williams and Martin Corry.

During the event, an authenticated signed British Lions shirt from the 2013 campaign was donated by HSBC for auction.

The shirt, supplied by UK managing director of HSBC Alan Keir and donated by Mark Shepard of Sellers Chartered Surveyors, sold for £1,500 to Stourbridge independent financial advisors Prosperity Wealth with the money going to a fund set up to raise £5,000 to help cancer-stricken former Stourbridge second row player Paul Barker to buy a prosthetic limb after illness forced him to have his leg amputated.

Neil Mitchell, Stourbridge director of rugby, described the lunch as a huge success and said: "The icing on the cake was this huge individual contribution to help kickstart Paul's fund."

Secretary and outgoing President Huw Jenkins added: "The Corporate Lunch and May Ball are two of the highlights on the club calendar.

"There was a big increase in the number of people attending the lunch this year and another 500 at the May Ball, which is generally confined to club members and lasts well into the night."

But the fund raising doesn't end there.

On Friday night, the Greyhounds take on the Grasshoppers in their annual contest at 7pm with 70 per cent of the proceeds going to Cystic Fibrosis.

Then on June 28, Neil Mitchell will be accompanied by long-serving front row forward Adam Sturdy together with former Wasps and England player Huw Davies, his brother and club photographer Ceri Davies together with Stourton Park stalwart Pete Trinham as they take part in the 100-mile Surrey Classic cycle ride.

The intrepid group will be attempting to raise more funds for Paul Barker's charity and anyone who would like to support them can do so online at www.justgiving.com/NEIL-MITCHELL9 South African-born Mr Barker, who left Stour in 2006, has been undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatment since having his leg amputated.

Medics first found out he had a rare form of cancer when he had an operation for a bad break to his leg.