Choir hits right notes to give boost to Hartlepool charities

Hartlepool Male Voice Choir has donated £1,500 to the Hartlepool Macmillan branch, Hartlepool Blind Welfare and Hartlepool and East Durham Mind.

The money, handed over at The Duke of Cleveland pub on the Headland, was raised from the choir’s popular Christmas Concert at the Borough Hall back in December.

Last year, the choir members were asked to nominated the charities they wished to help and the vital cash raised from the sale of tickets was then split between the three worthy causes.

Mick Waller, secretary of Hartlepool Male Voice Choir, said: “We had around 900 people at our Christmas concert and the proceeds of the ticket sales have been split between the three charities.

“We have given Macmillan £1,000 and the other two charities have received £250 each.”

George Newbury, treasurer for Macmillan’s Hartlepool fundraising group, was delighted with the funding, which will go towards helping Macmillan nurses support for cancer patients and their families.

He said: “We are really pleased with this donation.

“It came as a pleasant surprise and is a nice start to February.

“Hartlepool people are some of the most generous in the country.”

Hartlepool Blind Welfare, based on Avenue Road, offers help and information to those with a visual impairment.

Barbara McLeod, centre manager for the association, said their £250 donation will be a real boost to the charity.

She said: “It is fantastic and will benefit visually impaired people tremendously.

“We will use the funds to continue to invest in assistive technology with voice over capability and specialist software for visually impaired people.

“This will help build self-esteem, independence and help visually impaired people be able to do things for themselves.”

Hartlepool and East Durham Mind, based on Tees Street, helps those experiencing emotional distress such as anxiety, stress and depression.

Carol Longstaff, operations manager for the organisation, said: “This donation is fantastic.

“We think the money will go into providing activities for our clients so we can continue working towards creating a social hub network around Hartlepool.

“This will benefit people who are socially isolated, by getting them out there to help hem to develop.”

The choir rehearses every Friday from 7.30pm in the Corner Flag behind Hartlepool Indoor Bowls Club.

Everyone is welcome to come along and join in.