A SINGING group in Cleobury Mortimer has raised £525 for charity at its final performance.

The Reid Warblers have been performing concerts around the area for the past nine years but decided to call it a day.

The group started in 2005 as a platform for local people to sing for their own pleasure on a regular, informal basis and have since become known around the town after various public performances.

The final concert, held at St Marys Church, Cleobury Mortimer, was designed to evoke memories of the First World War and included numerous wartime favourites such as Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kitbag and It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.

Due to the concert being the group's last public appearance, most of the songs were arranged to give the members a chance to sing solo, with the audience being encouraged to join in the choruses.

The night also raised more than £525 for the Royal Centre of Defence Medicine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham from donations that were collected from the audience and group members.

Dr Mark Baldwin, whose wife was a longstanding member of the group, said: “The Warblers have made a great contribution to life in Cleobury, so it's sad to see them go. They'll certainly be missed.”