Pupils help to raise much-needed funds for charity

CAROLLING choristers cashed in on one of the busiest shopping days of the year to raise much-needed funds for charity.

Pupils from West Park Academy, Darlington, provided Christmas shoppers in Queen’s Street arcade with a dazzling array of Yuletide classics.

Their efforts got the loose change jingling and their festive collection bucket was soon filled to the brim.

In total their hour-long performance raised more than £100 for St Teresa’s Hospice as the much-loved facility headed towards its primary school fundraising target of more than £1,000.

Every year the town’s primary schools head onto the streets to sing to an appreciative public.

West Park Academy Year 2 teaching assistant Lisa Parker was accompanied at the event by Durham Music Service’s singing teacher Jane Parker.

Mrs Lisa Parker said: “We were invited to sing again this year by St Teresa’s and were delighted to help. We had 18 very excited singers in the choir who have been practising for the past three weeks. It proved to be well worth the effort as they all did extremely well.”

St Teresa’s fundraiser Chris Barron said: “The pupils did a fantastic job and were in fine voice. Quite a crowd stopped to listen to them sing and we were delighted with the amount of money they raised for us.”