SOUTHAMPTON medical research charity Hope is more than £600 better off, thanks to the efforts of some fruity fundraisers.
Mary Brennan, from Lyndhurst, raised £423 after inviting 60 guests to her home for a strawberry tea and Barry Hoult, of Micawber bed-and-breakfast in Hythe, raised £256 from a similar event for 23 people.
Hope's fundraising manager Wendy Burchall said: "We are so grateful for the support we are getting from people in Waterside and the Forest.
"All these events add up to a grand total which helps us to keep our vital research programmes going."
The charity launched its Hope for Healthy Babies campaign to mark its silver anniversary last year, with a target of £1m for research into childhood diseases.
Hope for New Forest is holding a summer ball in Wallhampton School on Saturday and the local court of the Ancient Order of Foresters has adopted the charity for the year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article