Senior figures in the private equity industry gathered at an annual charity dinner last week with the aim of raising money for good causes. They succeeded in raising £1m for charity – but there were some rather unconventional prizes.

Around 400 guests gathered in the grand surroundings of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London on Thursday evening to help raise money for The Private Equity Foundation Full Potential Dinner, which was set up in 2006 as a platform for the private equity industry to apply its expertise to a now 21-strong portfolio of charities dedicated to helping disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.