Local ukulele club, The D'Ukes of Rutland, have raised an impressive £270 for Rutland Foodbank this weekend at a range of festive events.

The amateur group were playing at Empingham Cricket Club on Friday night and outside Tesco on Saturday morning, raising much-needed funds for Rutland Foodbank - a local charity who work 5 days a week to deliver food parcels to those in food poverty in the local area.

The team said: "We would like to say a big thank you to all those Rutlanders who donated monies, possibly paying to stop us playing! Seriously though, we collected £270 for the Rutland Food Bank and are very grateful to all involved!"

The group are also playing this Saturday, the 10th of December 2022 at 1.30pm in Oakham Castle, with donations raising money for Friends of Oakham Castle. This is a free event.

Top of the Pops at Christmas flyer (image courtesy of D'Ukes of Rutland).

They will be playing some of the Christmas Number Ones from the past that you won't hear in the supermarkets, as well as a few popular classics for the public to sing along to at the end.

They will also be playing outside Lily and Honey Bakery in Gaol St, Oakham, at 7 pm on Monday the 12th of December for the Oakham Late Night Shopping event organised by Carolyn Acton-Reed of Oakham and Rutland Events.

In other fund-raising news, The Horseshoe Theatre Company production of Calendar Girls and the sales of their very own "nude" calendars has raised over £2000 for Blood Caner UK. Read more here.

Alternatively, view a range of festive fundraising events that you can enjoy this Christmas period here.