Hammersley Homes receives £52,000 funding boost after garden concert weekend at Kingfishers

A WEEKEND of garden opera and avant-garde pop raised more than £52,000 for a Lymington-based mental health charity.

Set in the gardens of Kingfishers on Normandy Lane in Lymington, the charity weekend featured live music from Penguin Café and four world-class opera singers.

A popular fixture in the local calendar, this year the fundraising open-air performances were organised in support of local mental health charity Hammersley Homes.

Hundreds of attendees enjoyed an evening of hits from the Penguin Café Orchestra. Founded in 2009 by Arthur Jeffes, Penguin Cafe comprises a talented and disparate group of musicians, including members of Suede and Gorillaz.

The son of Simon Jeffes, a founder member of Penguin Café Orchestra, Arthur and his band recreated the band’s signature sound, delivering a slice of ‘70s musical counterculture recreated for the 2020s.

The second concert featured celebrated Milford tenor Colin Judson, soprano Ellen Pritchard, baritone Emyr Wyn Jones and mezzo Victoria Simmonds, who joined forces for an evening of opera in the garden.

Hosted by Amanda Mann, the charity evenings raised £52,699 for Hammersley Homes.

“The sun shone, the music soared, the garden sparkled; but the real magic was the wonderful volunteers and the many residents of Lymington who came along to support us,” said Amanda.

“Thank you to everyone who bought tickets, cheered, sang and clapped. To those who gave their time, their hands and their hearts so generously.”

Established in 2018, Hammersley Homes offers lifetime support to adults suffering from enduring mental stress. The charity will use the funding to expand and develop its outreach programme.

Hammersley Homes founder Louise Hallett said: “Thanks to Amanda Mann and the performers, all the donors and all who bought tickets to these events, we are able to support more of the vulnerable people we work with. This will make a big difference to people’s lives – not only to the lives of our clients, but also to their families.”

Find out more at hammersleyhomes.org