There may have been a heatwave AND the Football World Cup this summer, but Harmony Belles shone at their ‘Summer Sounds’ Concert on Sunday 5th July, 2026, raising £4,000 for charity

This year’s summer concert was held in a new venue, Furze Platt School Theatre in Maidenhead, where, in conjunction with Furze Platt School, Harmony Belles performed an evening of uplifting songs to raise money for two incredible charities, Thames Hospice and Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.

The evening was a great success, packed with powerful, uplifting performances and feel-good favourites including ‘You Raise Me Up’, Stand By Me, Wonderful World, Dolly Parton’s 'Change It' and a riveting encore song, ‘It’s Raining Men’.

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As our supporters will know, Harmony Belles is foremost about singing together for joy but running a very close second is performing in concerts and raising money for our chosen charities. This year we were supporting the Thames Hospice and the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust and were delighted to raise £4,000 on the night to be shared between the two charities. Read on to find out about the charities and how our funds have helped.

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Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust (EMCT):

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Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust (EMCT) helps young people aged 8-24 who are living through and beyond cancer by taking them on sailing and outdoor adventures, Through these life-changing experiences, they help young people rebuild confidence, make lasting friendships, and believe in a brighter future.

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One of our choir members, Top Alto, Shona Lockie, nominated this charity as she had a very close connection to it, both as a volunteer medic and through family. Together with her daughter-in-law, Jo, who had cancer throughout her teenage years, they gave a heartfelt speech about the charity and the work it does. Take a look at the Facebook link below to see just how much a group of young people enjoyed a recent week away in Scotland.

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2.4K views | Reel by EMCTrust

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In Shona’s own words, I am so grateful for the wonderful support of Harmony Belles.  EMCT is an incredible charity. There are so many young people with long term disabilities, physical or psychological as a result of cancer. EMCT support weeks provide an opportunity for young people to come together feeling no need to explain, safe in the knowledge that everyone else will get it, building their confidence in just a week. To see the laughter and smiles by the end of the week was fabulous and above all, to see them leave the boats with a newfound confidence. The transformation was enormous.

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Thames Hospice:

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Thames Hospice offers palliative and end-of-life care, supporting patients and families with compassion and dignity. Serving the community for over 30 years, its services include a 29-bed inpatient unit, day therapy, physiotherapy, complementary therapies, and bereavement support.

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We visited the site in October with five sixth form students from Furze Platt School and were struck by the welcoming and airy atmosphere of the reception hub. A warm and beautiful place for patients, relatives and visitors alike.

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We were delighted to hear that the funds we raised at our concert would help the hospice’s medical, community, counselling and therapy teams continue to provide their compassionate care for the patients and their families. £2,000 would go a long way towards medication to all of the patients accessing the hospice’s Inpatient Services for a week.

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This ensures that patients feel peace and comfort during their stay. It now costs over £20.5 million every year to keep Thames Hospice running and they rely on charitable support to fund their services 365 days a year to the people who need it the most.

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