The Magic of Christmas concert at the Drill Hall to benefit Horsham Matters

Horsham Matters, which runs the Horsham District Foodbank, is hosting a Christmas concert, The Magic of Christmas, on Friday 8 December at the Drill Hall on Denne Road in Horsham. Funds raised will help support the work the charity does in the community, as it has seen a huge increase in demand for its service as the cost-of-living crisis affects residents from all walks of life.

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This promises to be a fantastic event which will feature local talent including the contemporary gospel choir, Singergy, community choir, Big Notes and local legend Jodie Munday. Doors open at 6:30pm with the concert starting at 7:00pm. There will be a bar providing mulled wine and mince pies. As well as a life-size advent calendar with some amazing raffle prizes. Tickets are £8 per person and can be purchased on their website or at their Love it Again shop in West Street.

The charity provides support to Horsham District residents, including food bank, household budget support, benefit advice, energy provision and essential household items. The charity has seen an increase in demand, but a decrease in donations both food and monetary, as residents struggle to make ends meet. They are currently supporting between 700-800 individuals with food parcels and spending between £500-£700 a week to ensure there is enough food to meet demand.

So far this year, the charity has supported residents with over 7,000 individual food parcels. Last Christmas, it provided 1,500 food parcels, and as winter approaches, it expects demand to increase even further.

Emma Elnaugh, Managing Director, said “The cost-of-living crisis is also having an impact on the amount of donations we are receiving, resulting in us spending around £700 per week to top up our provision to ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of the most vulnerable residents. We are grateful to our community who continue to support us, first through Covid and now through the cost of living crisis. We know everyone is struggling and we hope that, if people can, they will support our event, which will provide an evening of much-needed Christmas cheer and funds to continue our work.”

All monies raised will help fund the work the charity does in the local community. For tickets and more information, please visit www.horsham-matters.org.uk or pop in their charity shop, Love It Again, on West Street.