How much would you pay for a VIP tour of Monkey World with Dr Alison Cronin as your personal guide?

The chances are not as much as Jim and Michelle Mellor.

The couple from Manchester wrote out a cheque for £6,000 on Saturday after making the winning bid for Lot 107 at a special charity auction.

The event, which included a gala dinner attended by over 300 guests at Poole’s Lighthouse, was in aid of the Jim Cronin Memorial Fund.

“It’s worth every penny to us,” said a delighted Mrs Mellor. “We think Monkey World does amazing work and we really want to support them.”

It was the culmination of an evening that raised tens of thousands of pounds for the memorial fund, established by Alison after the death of Jim Cronin three years ago.

Jim set up Monkey World in Wool to rescue and rehabilitate abused and endangered primates around the world, starting with chimps used by beach photographers in Spain.

Alison told guests: “Jim knew that you could make a difference and Monkey World was his dream.

“He was a voice for those who could not speak for themselves and he saw through the ‘fun face’ of the so-called entertainment industry.”

She added: “If he were here tonight, I know he would be very proud.”

Dr Cronin said two donors had just pledged amounts of £10,000 and $50,000 to the fund.

The marathon auction was conducted by 2CRFM presenter Graham Mack, a long-time friend of the Mon-key World founder whom he affectionately nicknamed ‘Jungle Jim.’ For more information on the work of the charitable trust, go to jimcroninmemorialfund.org