MORE than £40,000 was raised for the Army Benevolent Fund at this year’s annual Early Early Christmas Fair held at the end of September.

More than 1,350 shoppers from across Wiltshire and surrounding counties flocked to the fair at Tedworth House in Tidworth, helping to beat last year’s amount by £5,000.

Organiser Caroline Cary was thrilled with the result and thanked everyone who supported the event, as well as local businesses who donated prizes and advertised with them.

“It was incredible to have again surpassed last year’s total, but it has become a very popular major event in the calendar and that is evident by the amount of tickets sold and the numbers through the door,” she said.

“The stalls were fantastic and run very professionally with great variety, beautifully presented in a superb venue with a wonderful atmosphere.

“This is now the largest annual fundraising event for the ABF in the country, and never has it been a more important time to support the ABF, the soldiers’ charity.”

The event was sponsored by Aspire Defence, who helped pay for the marquee, as well as Sodexo Defence and Tesco, whose staff have just completed a countrywide collection.