Spark Community Space in Portsmouth has benefited by more than £500 – the proceeds of the latest charity concert by the Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra.
Di Lloyd, chair of the orchestra, paid a visit to the centre earlier this month to find out more about what it does and present a cheque for £510, which was raised at the orchestra’s March concert. You can watch the video of the visit above.
At the concert, the audience enjoyed music by Max Bruch, featuring soloists Robert Blanken (clarinet) and Catherine Lawlor (viola) and Ethel Smyth’s Overture to the Wreckers among others.
At Spark people can come in during the week and have a cup of tea or cake and pay what they can afford. Its aim is to remove barriers for people to come in and socialise to avoid loneliness and improve their mental health.
Catherine Redmond, who plays bassoon in the orchestra, nominated Spark, where she is also a volunteer.
She said: “It was a really good combination of both my passions. I have been in the orchestra for 17 years and I’ve been volunteering at Spark on Saturdays for the past three years.
“The orchestra has raised a lot of money for great charities and this is a fantastic one. It’s such a positive space. There’s a real buzz every time you come in. There’s something for everyone, with a cup of tea or someone to talk to or to play some games or do some classes.”
Clare Lillington, who manages volunteers at Spark and who received the cheque, added: “The money really does make a big difference to what we do. It helps us fund the toasties, the cake and the tea and the coffee. It will go towards a real difference in our community.”
The orchestra has raised more than £25,000 for local good causes since it was founded in 2009. Its next concert is at the Stubbington Community Centre on Saturday June 27 (7pm) which will be along with soprano Jennifer Parker-Lummis. Tickets, priced £15 for adults, are on sale here. Booking fees apply. Proceeds from the next concert will go to Motiv8.
The orchestra is supported by Portsmouth firm Bishops Printers.