IPSWICH All Star Brass today threw its support behind the Evening Star's Helping Our Children Christmas appeal.The band will bring festive cheer to shoppers at Copdock's Tesco store with two Sunday performances.

IPSWICH All Star Brass today threw its support behind the Evening Star's Helping Our Children Christmas appeal.

The band will bring festive cheer to shoppers at Copdock's Tesco store with two Sunday performances.

The first will take place on December 5 and the second a week later, on December 12. The band, made up of freelance musicians, will be in store between 10am and 4pm playing seasonal tunes.

Andy Shipp, 40, who organised the fundraiser, said the group is happy to back The Star's appeal to raise up to £18,000 for the Felixstowe General Hospital to create and equip a special children's waiting and treatment area in the minor injuries unit.

Mr Shipp said: "We believe it's a worthy cause and always back The Star's appeal.

"We always enjoy performing in Tesco. It's something different for us to do and an opportunity to relax because when we're normally playing it's fairly serious.

"It's the time of year to have a bit of fun."

The group, who meet twice-weekly, have raised £3,500 for Evening Star good causes in the past. They will also be performing – as they have done in recent years – at this year's Star carol service at 7.30pm on December 14 in St Margaret's Church, Bolton Lane, Ipswich

Tickets for the carol service are £1 and available from the Evening Star reception or by sending a cheque, made payable to Archant Regional Ltd, to Christine Upson, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN.

The Helping Our Children appeal will help the Suffolk Coastal Primary Care Trust create a safe, comfortable and non-threatening area where youngsters can be seen privately away from adult patients using the minor injuries unit.

The new treatment bay will be equipped with paediatric resuscitation equipment and asthma relief machines, as well as child-height couches and chairs, and other machines and furnishings.

It is hoped to decorate it brightly with murals, and provide toys and books, and a TV showing health promotion videos targets at youngsters.

The hospital is used by people not only from the Felixstowe area, but also families in Martlesham, Woodbridge and villages, and also tens of thousands of daytrippers and holidaymakers visiting the resort.

To donate to the appeal, please send cheques made payable to the Evening Star Christmas Appeal to Geraldine Thompson, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN.

Shoppers can also donate via the collecting boxes around the Evening Star Christmas tree on the Cornhill in Ipswich.