Collectors from Salisbury Trust for the Homeless (STFH) and local singing group The Navy Larks joined forces to raise a record sum of more than £1,500 for the charity.

The money was raised during a collection outside Waitrose in Salisbury on Saturday (May 28).

“Wow, what a day,” said Gordon Pardy, the head of fundraising for STFH. “The grand total of £1,517.46, which included some money donated via our new online option, is our biggest single day supermarket collection ever – and we have held quite a large number of these down the years.”

The team of STFH collectors were backed up by The Navy Larks, a Salisbury-based choir specialising in sea shanties and other traditional songs, clad in their trademark striped nautical-style shirts.

They have raised money for many charities in and around Salisbury and, led by their director Kate Edgar, their songs certainly hit the right notes with shoppers.

“We are very grateful to Kate Edgar and The Navy Larks for helping us out and also to Waitrose and its incredibly generous customers,” added Mr Pardy.

“STFH is a local charity which receives no funding from either central or local government and so we are very much dependant on the support of the public in Salisbury and south Wiltshire.”

STFH has helped hundreds of people turn their lives around in recent years.

Founded in 1987, the charity helps people regain confidence and self-esteem, learn life skills, find education, training and employment opportunities, and access permanent accommodation, so returning to independent living.

 

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