A SPECIAL carol service which has today added funds to a worthwhile cause has helped kick start the festive season.The Evening Star annual carol service was held at St Margaret's Church, in Christchurch Park, Ipswich, and more than 350 people came along.

A SPECIAL carol service which has today added funds to a worthwhile cause has helped kick start the festive season.

The Evening Star annual carol service was held at St Margaret's Church, in Christchurch Park, Ipswich, and more than 350 people came along.

Children from Sprites Infant School Choir and the Suffolk Deaf Association Choir helped to make the evening extra special as well as Asda, who supplied plenty of mince pies for the event.

Mike Pennock, deputy editor at the Star, said: “The church was packed out as always and it was a splendid occasion which kick starts the Christmas season of festivities in the Ipswich area and it also raised a lot of money for a very worthwhile charity.”

All the proceeds from this year's service will go to The Somebody's Daughter memorial fund, an Evening Star charity dedicated to helping vulnerable young people.

Although the exact amount is not yet confirmed it is believed a large sum of money was raised for the Somebody's Daughter charity.

The exact amount will be published as soon as the money is counted.

Sue Gipps, sales and marketing manager, said: “We support a different charity every year and as it's a year since the terrible tragedies in Ipswich it seemed appropriate to support Somebody's Daughter, as the charity of the occasion.

“I would like to thank all the speakers who read at the ceremony and everyone who came along to support the event.”

The Reverend Canon David Cutts led the service and Marilyn Watsham, the deputy principal of Suffolk New College gave the first reading from the bible, followed by Mike Faulkner, secretary of the East of England Co-operative Society.

Lesley Dolphin and Mark Murphy, presenters of BBC Radio Suffolk, also spoke at the service which ended with the popular Christmas carol, Hark the Herald-Angel Sing.

Were you at the carol service? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.