Churches Together in Gosport host uplifting carol concert raising hundreds for Sophie's Legacy and Barnardo's

More than 200 people attended a carol concert at Bay House School, held by Churches Together in Gosport (CTIG), who came together to raise money for two children’s charities – Sophie's Legacy and Barnardo's.

The event on November 25, which was the first Gosport carol service of the year, saw visitors enjoy mulled wine and mine pies, donated by a range of local convenience stores including Tesco, Budgens and Premier.

The Rev Sean Blackman, minister for Freedom Church in Gosport and one of the organisers of the event said: ‘It’s been a tough year for people in lots of different ways, so this was a real opportunity for them to relax and enjoy themselves – and also support some very worthy causes.’

After the concert had finished, donations provided by guests raised over £500 for the two children’s charities with more to come as proceeds from the evening still yet to be confirmed.

Mike Critchley, chair of CTIG, helped to organise the event and was pleased with the success. He said: ‘On a night when the nation were reported to be glued to their TV sets and the World Cup, it was so good to see 200-plus people attend this event.

NOW READ: Waterlooville care home launches community library

The event saw guest speaker, evangelist and author Canon J. John, give a talk, attended by the deputy mayor and mayoress of Gosport, Councillor Martin Pepper and Suzanne Pepper.

Cllr Pepper said the event was ‘an example of Gosport at its very best,’ while Suzanne added: ‘There’s a real feeling of people coming together in support of those less fortunate.’

Sophie’s Legacy was set up in memory of 10-year-old Sophie Fairall of Stubbington, who died in 2021 after being diagnosed with a cancerous tumour. Her last wishes were to help other children in her position.

Sophie’s mum, Charlotte Fairall, also attended the evening concert and said: ‘We would like to thank Sean and all who organised the event for choosing Sophie's Legacy. The money will make such a difference as it will enable us to continue to support families in hospital. We rely solely on donations. Thank you so much for everyone's support, it means so much.’