Waterloo carols raise spirits and funds for local food banks

Commuters passing through Waterloo station were treated to an impromptu carol concert when the choirs of Sherborne Girls and The Gryphon School sang on the station concourse.

The joint choir, made up of 125 girls and boys aged between 11 and 18, serenaded shoppers and commuters with festive favourites in a bid to raise donations for Foodbank charities in Sherborne and Waterloo.

Mr John Jenkins, Director of Music at Sherborne Girls, said: “The response from commuters and station staff was amazingly supportive. The whole concourse echoed to traditional carol singing and we are certain that commuters continued their journey with their spirits raised.”

Mr Val Mizen, Head of Music at The Gryphon School, added: “The pupils performed beautifully together and they did a marvellous job of representing Sherborne town. We are also so pleased to be able to raise awareness of the food bank charities and highlight the essential work they carry out.”

After two hours of singing, the amount raised from passers-by and train commuters totalled more than £3,800, which is a magnificent result and will be shared between the Sherborne and Waterloo Food Bank charities.

Chris Loder, Head of Service Strategy for South Western Railway (and old boy of The Gryphon School), said: “The choirs gave the UK’s busiest railway station a unique atmosphere with people stopping to listen, applaud and donate to charity – a winning combination. We were delighted to make this possible”.

For more information on the charities see: www.sherbornefoodbank.org