Felixstowe Community Choir, recently presented cheques totalling £3,000 to four local charities, bringing the total they have donated to £43,900 since they began in 2013. The presentations were made to Bloodrunners, Felixstowe Men’s Shed, Blue Cross and Felixstowe Area Community Transport (FACTS) at the choir’s annual Family and Friends evening at the Orwell Hotel, where a choir of seventy male and female singers, entertained an audience of over 100. The choir has also sung at charity fundraising events in Ipswich and Felixstowe over the years.
To accept the cheques were Phil and Kim Smith (Bloodrunners – SERV Suffolk and Cambridgeshire), Charles White, (Centre Manager for Blue Cross), Nigel (FACTS) and Steve Harding (Felixstowe Men’s Shed). They were all delighted and said that £750 for a small local charity makes a big difference to their work.
Each year the chosen charities are nominated and voted on by members and the donations came from money raised from the weekly choir raffle, organised by Maureen Weeks, and choir profits. The raffle held on the night of the concert raised £450 towards the choir’s 2026/7 charity fund.
“Each year we sing with the orchestra and a brass band at Music in Felixstowe concerts, but our Family and Friends Night is an informal concert, nicknamed ‘Parents Evening', when members turn the table on their adult children and they come and see what we do on a Monday night!” laughed choir founder, Rachel Sloane.
Carol Robinson, who joined the Choir when she moved to Felixstowe with her husband 11 years ago, said "I really love going to choir on a weekly basis because of our brilliant choir leader, Emily Bennett who is so much fun. Everybody is made to feel very welcome, and we all enjoy singing well-known songs, irrespective of our age or ability. On top of that we raise a lot of money for charity which is an added bonus."
There is a very well supported men’s section in the choir.
Carol’s husband Paul said " I also love the choir and enjoy singing with lots of other men who all just come to enjoy the whole experience. Because there is a perfect balance of male and female voices the enjoyment is enhanced".
If you like singing and laughing, Felixstowe Community Choir, an adult mixed choir, always welcomes new members on Monday evenings at 7.30 at the Orwell Hotel. Members pay £5 on the door and sing to live music, have no auditions, have no sheet music or special clothes to buy. Led by Music Coach, Emily Bennett, it is for anyone who loves singing – especially pop, folk and show tunes.