A HAMPSHIRE business owner has been recognised after raised more than £8,000 for charity.

Tim Bond, managing director of Eastleigh-based recruitment agency Upfront and Personnel, pulled in the money by holding a dinner dance and running a half-marathon.

Mr Bond was fund-raising for Encephalitis Society, a charity close to his heart. He was diagnosed with encephalitis - a life-threatening illness in which an infection causes the brain to swell - two years ago, after falling suddenly ill.

Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington presented him with a special corporate supporter award on behalf of the charity, after he raised £8,700 in 2009.

Mr Bond, talking about how the condition affected him, said: "I went from being a confident person to someone who struggled with the reality of day-to-day life.

"My memory was affected, I became confused, my eyesight and hearing were impaired, and I suffered acute pains which would stop me in my tracks, leave me gasping for breath and clutching my head.

"It was only after finding the Encephalitis Society that I began on my road to recovery. They have been amazing, assisting me in finding the right care and support and enabling me to meet and talk to others affected by the condition."