Charity carol service raises more than £6000 for ‘Hope and Homes for Children’ charity

A candlelit carol concert held in Marlborough College Chapel on Saturday December 15 has raised £6,755 for the charity Hope and Homes for Children.  This annual event is organised by the charity’s Vale of Pewsey Support Group

Despite the high winds and rain, over 600 attended, more than in previous years. 

The Great Bedwyn Millennium Choir joined the audience in singing traditional carols and also performed their own pieces.  Other performers included The Blue Belles and soloist Fiona Scott MacArthur.

Alison Netherclift, organiser and member of the Vale of Pewsey Support Group, told marlborough.news:  “Everyone was delighted to hear the joint children’s choir of Oare and Ogbourne Primary schools and the beautiful voice of young talented Izzy Albery and oboist Noah Piercy.”

“We are enormously grateful to everyone who took part and gave their time to make this eventsuch a success.  A special thanks to our sponsors, especially our main sponsor Kim Vine.”

The charity Hope and Homes for Children finds alternative, high quality family based care for vulnerablechildren, who otherwise would be in orphanages.  Their work is now recognized as best practice by UNICEFand the World Health Organisation. 

The charity develops family support services and establishes robust fostering and adoption networks.  And it has a local connection.

Colonel Mark and Caroline Cook, who lived in West Stowell, near Marlborough founded the charity after their experience of Bjelave orphanage, in Bosnia.  The charity now works with children in Africa and Eastern Europe.