A popular community choir has raised almost £1,000 for disaster relief charity ShelterBox.

The Suitcase Singers raised the money from their concerts throughout 2023, with every song raising critical funds for the Truro-based organisation, which relies on public donations to fund its work around the world.

ShelterBox has helped more than 2.5-million people in around 100 countries since it was founded in 2000. It is currently supporting displaced people in 12 countries, including Yemen, Syria, Ukraine, Somalia and Cameroon. 

The community choir meets weekly at the Zedshed in Penryn and is led by Falmouth University associate lecturer Claire Ingleheart.

The choir has long supported ShelterBox and performed at the charity’s inaugural Christmas carol concert at Truro Cathedral in December, which ended up singing under the stars following a false fire alarm.   

“The Suitcase Singers love to take their music into the local community, and it's an absolute privilege to support a brilliant organisation like ShelterBox,” said Claire. 

Choir members presented a cheque of £930 to ShelterBox’s book club leader, Catherine Thornhill, who said: “We are incredibly grateful - without the support of fundraisers like The Suitcase Singers, we wouldn’t be able to support the number of people we do.” 

The charity specialises in emergency shelter aid, providing tents to people uprooted from their homes and left without shelter. It has launched an urgent Gaza fundraising appeal to support some of the 1.9 million people who have been displaced by the conflict.  

To find out more, visit shelterbox.org