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A total of £1,200 raised by the choir over the last year was awarded to Hartlepool RNLI, the local branch of The Apostleship of the Sea, and the Big Town Tidy Up group.

Over the years, the choir has given out thousands of pounds to both major and smaller charities and good causes in the town.

The money comes from concerts they give around the community during the year, with their popular annual Christmas concert being their biggest moneymaker.

Hartlepool Male Voice Choir members present theiri annual charity donations to Hartlepool Lifeboat, Apostleship of the Sea and Big Town Tidy Up at Hartlepool Lifeboat Station.

This year’s presentations were made by members of the choir to representatives from each of the chosen causes at Hartlepool Lifeboat station.

Choir chairman Duncan Graham explained: “Every year, the members nominate the charities. We always give £1,000 to what we consider a big charity which are the RNLI, Alice House Hospice, Great North Air Ambulance, Macmillan Nurses and Marie Curie.

“This year it was the Hartlepool lifeboat. We also pick two smaller causes that are happy with a smaller amount.”

Hartlepool RNLI, crewed entirely by volunteers, are on call 24/7 and last year attended 51 shouts including missing persons, men overboard, medivacs, mechanical failures and recovered 16 people from the water.

Hartlepool Male Voice Choir members with representatives from their chosen charities for the year at Hartlepool Lifeboat Station.

The Apostleship of the Sea, a Catholic group, operates all around the country, looking after the spiritual and social welfare of all seafarers.

Duncan added: “They are a lovely organisation and do a really good job.

“They visit the sailors on ships when in dock including at Middlesbrough and Hartlepool ports and make sure they are okay and give them gifts.”

They received £100 along with the Hartlepool Big Town Tidy Up group.

It is made up of volunteers who pick up plastic and other rubbish from all over the town.

Some members of the male voice choir are part of the group including Russ Carkner.

Duncan said: “They need protective gloves, litter pickers and bags. They will use the money to purchase equipment to help them do what they do.”

This summer the choir will host a concert with classical music group G4.

Cash donations from Hartlepool Male Voice Choir are music to the ears of these town groups