The Mayor of Richmond upon Thames will be holding his annual Christmas concert on Friday 17 December to raise money for his chosen charities.
It will be at Clarendon Hall, York House in Twickenham and will feature the Middlesex Yeomanry Concert Band for the first time.
The night will include a performance from the band of classic Christmas carols, a charity raffle, mulled wine, minced pies and more.
All money raised from the event will be donated to the Mayor’s charities for 2021: Habitats & Heritage and Dose of Nature.
The Mayor, Councillor Geoff Acton said: “We have picked an environment theme to coincide with the council’s commitment to declaring a climate emergency.”
Habitats & Heritage works on projects all around South West London to benefit the environment such as clearing up public spaces, planting trees and litter picking.
Dose of Nature is a therapeutic charity that works with local doctors and people with mental health issues.
They take people into open spaces to improve their wellbeing and mental health by connecting with nature.
The Mayor is passionate about these charities because of the environmental crisis but also the deterioration of some people’s mental health throughout the pandemic.
The Richmond Christmas concert is a great opportunity to raise money for these charities as throughout Covid there have not been many chances to hold fundraisers.
The Middlesex Yeomanry Concert Band is a new addition to the annual Christmas concert and will in fact be breaking usual tradition.
They are a local community manned band.
In the past the Military band from Kneller Hall would have headlined the concert, but with the Hall now closed and the Military School of Musicians having moved away, there was an opportunity for something different.
Councillor Geoff Acton said: “I’m an amateur musician myself having played for Kew Wind Orchestra, so I am keen on showcasing the local bands, and there are many in Richmond.
“The Middlesex Yeomanry has got a long traditional heritage along with links to the armed forces.
“I’m a big music fan and I want to promote music of all ages and types in the borough.
“We have some very talented people so I am looking forward to it.”
Other Mayors and councillors from neighbouring boroughs usually have attended events like this in previous years to support the community and help raise money for different charities.
The charities will also be attending the concert.
The Mayor hopes that the event will sell out and that it will help spread Christmas cheer throughout the community.
He said: “We hope it sells out and that it gives a bit of Christmas spirit for the people in these difficult times, as we are still suffering from the pandemic.
“We encourage anyone who can to donate because despite the difficulty we have faced we have found the residents of Richmond are very generous and do contribute to these events.”
All information and tickets can be found at https://www.richmond.gov.uk/mayors_charities
Find out more about the Mayor of Richmond’s charities: Habitats and Heritage and Dose of Nature.
