2024 - Windward Foundation (Helix Centre)
Our audiences continue to prove how generous they are by contributing a wonderful £1,000 for the Windward Foundation/Helix Centre which cares for adults with learning and physical disabilities and autism. Here are Dick Whittington and Alice Fitzwarren played by Sienna Holmes and Zoe Richardson presenting the cheque – left to right we have Holly Dobell, Sophie Blenkin, Sienna, Zoe, Jo Davis and Dawn Denton.
2023 - Ringwood Foodbank/ Trussell Trust (Verwood Centre)
What a generous audience we have here in Verwood, contributing a massive £1,250 to this very worthy local good cause – the Verwood Distribution Centre – a part of the Ringwood Foodbank, a registered charity affiliated to the Trussell Trust Foodbank, a national charity which supports families in crisis – over the previous 12 months they had helped over 1,500 people!
Here’s Jasmine and Aladdin played by Zoe Richardson and Megan Kemp presenting the cheque to Dave Evans, Manager of the Verwood Foodbank, and Judy McMath, a Verwood Foodbank volunteer.
2022 - Cheers4Chester
After World events brought 2021 to a shut-down, we were over the moon to finally put on a show and were very proud to hold a collection for 5 year-old Chester Walton who suffers from Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy. Chester requires round-the-clock care and assistance and his parents Ben & Sam are raising money to fund his Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy operation in the USA and the subsequent 2-year rehabilitation of physiotherapy and new equipment. Our audience really stepped up to the plate and generously donated £1,250! Amazing. Here’s Prince Orlando (Abi Turner) and Princess Aurora (Megan Kemp) handing brave little Chester (with Mum Sam) the cheque. Well done everyone!
2020 - The Country Corner
Our audience collection this year hit a massive £1000!! Wow, great job all of you! This year the collection is going to The Country Corner, a fantastic destination set up to help those who have suffered spinal injuries and mobility reducing disabilities, improving quality of life through interactions with nature and animals. The Country Corner brought along to the show the cutest American miniature horse ever with Sugar, whom "pulled" Cinders and her carriage across the stage at the end of Act 1. The audience loved her and so did we! Here's our in-house groom, Abi, presenting the rather large cheque to The Country Corner's founder, Joanna Birley.
2019 - Donation to Hope for Isabel
£1,250 from you generous audience members! Superb. And what a worthy cause this year. Little Isabel is a Micro Premature baby born at 25 weeks and weighed only 1lb 13oz. She had an extremely difficult 6 month stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where she received countless tests, blood transfusions, operations and resuscitation. These donations make a huge difference so thank you all!
2018 - Donation to Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance
This year we supported a remarkable charity very close to home, after our very own Mary Hindmarch’s life was saved by these incredible people after a horrific car crash. The audience didn’t disappoint - we raised £1,450. Astonishing. Everyone here at VPS are thankful beyond belief to this amazing organisation, for without them we would have lost our dear friend and her loving husband. Thank you so much to them and thank you too, to the ever-generous audience in helping keep this charity flying. Here’s Mary presenting the cheque to Neil Bizzell of the Air Ambulance.
2017 - Donation to A Vision for Vincent
We had a stunning result in the after-show collection - £1,301!! Incredible! Thanks so, so much to everyone who dipped in to their pockets - the generosity is humbling, so thank you. Here's Jim (Bethany) and Penny (Rebecca) presenting Carl & Tanya Appleby the enormous cheque, which is part of their fundraising efforts in memory of their son, Vincent, who passed away through leukemia. The money is heading straight towards the wonderful people at Poole Hospital's Durlston Ward.
2015 - Donation to DEBRA
Our after-show collection raised just under £1000! We topped it up to a round grand and this year the charitable organisation we're presenting the money too is DEBRA - an amazing charity helping individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa. Here's Olivia (Aladdin) and Bethany (Slave of the Ring) presenting the mahoosive cheque. A million thanks to everyone who reached into their pockets - awesome.
2013 - Donation to Active Games for All (AGFA).
Our charity collection came to nearly £800 and the representatives from Active Games for All (AGFA) were delighted with the cheque presented to them by some of our junior chorus during the Talented Youth Concert. Well done everyone! Verwood should see its multi-use games area (MUGA) up and running soon enough - woohoo!
2012 - Donation to Help for Heroes Charity.
Our Town Mayor, Toni Coombs, collects the £800 cheque for Help For Heroes from our lovely Munchkins, raised from our After Show Collection at the 2012 production of Wizard of Oz. Well done everyone!
2011 - Donation to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.
The Pantomime Society raised £800 from proceeds and collections at the 2011 production of Peter Pan. Thank you to you all for your contributions. Here is a picture of director Sandra Hammond presenting a cheque to Katie Ryan from Dorset County Hospital, who was recently chosen as the face of nursing for the NHS.
