Charities sing Hartlepool Male Voice Choir's praises after receiving donations

Hartlepool Male Voice Choir member Mick Waller (sitting right) presents a cheque for Â£500 to St Marys Church parishioner Chris Hogg and her grandson Reuben Lloyd, with Father Nick Jennings (rear 3rd left) and fellow parishioners (left to right) Carol Howe, Terry Curren, Chris Rowson, Ian Malcolmson and Dave Hogg. Picture by FRANK REID

Choir members presented Alice House Hospice and St Mary’s Church on the Headland with £500.

The choir chose the hospice and church as their charities of 2017 and the money was from the proceeds of the choir’s popular Christmas Concert which was held at the Borough Hall in December.

Hartlepool Male Voice Choir members (left to right) John Rutherford, Duncan Graham and Mick Waller present Janice Forbes from Alice Hospice with a cheque for Â£500. Picture by FRANK REID

Choir chairman Duncan Graham said: “We always give money to at least one of the larger charities; the hospice, the lifeboat, Great North Air Ambulance and the local branch of Macmillan Cancer Support.

“Then on top of that we support some of the smaller ones.

“This year we decided that one would go to St Mary’s Church who we know about.”

The choir gave a concert at the church last year as part of St Mary’s ambitious project to raise £600,000 to restore the church to its former glory.

Parishioner Terry Curren, who is also part of the restoration project, said: “We are trying to restore St Mary’s to a decent standard.

“It was built in 1851 and the architect was Joseph Hansom of the Hansom cabs.

“The project will take place over a number of years and is about opening it up to all sorts of events, for visitors to come in and to restore the organ.”

Regarding the choir’s donation Terry added: “It’s absolutely wonderful. It is very generous of them.”

The choir will return to the church for another concert on April 28 at 7.30pm and tickets cost £5.

The presentations took place at the Duke of Cleveland pub on the Headland.

Janice Forbes accepted the money for Alice House Hospice.

The choir also held a bucket collection for the hospice when they sang in Middleton Grange shopping centre earlier last year.

She said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been one of their chosen charities.

“It is fantastic to have their support. It will go towards our specialist patient care services.

“We need to raise over £7,000 a day.”