Around 50 children from in and around Hadleigh had the chance to perform to a packed United Reformed Church on Saturday thanks to an ever-growing music fund.

The Rosa Simon Music Fund, set up in memory of three-year-old Rosa Simon, funded the workshop and concert with jazz musician Pete Letanka.

The children spent the early part of the day in a workshop learning half a dozen songs from around the world.

Pupils from St. Mary’s School, Hadleigh Community Primary School and Miss Lesley’s School of Performing Arts also came along with pieces they had been practising beforehand.

Later the same day 200 people crammed into the church to watch the result of hours of hard work in the workshop, while also raising money for the fund.

Rosa died in June last year after being hit by a car while playing outside her home.

Later her family set up the Rosa Simon Music Fund, due to Rosa’s love of music, to raise money to make sure all children locally could have the chance to experience the joy of music whatever their background.

“This is what Rosa’s Fund is all about,” said Paul Simon, Rosa’s father.

“We aim to get an instrument into the hands of every child who wants one.

“We aim to pay for the costs of musical tuition for every child who wants to learn but family circumstances might not allow all this.

“And we aim to give performance experience to every child who wants to sing and play an instrument in front of an audience.”

Mr Simon said the days’ event was a success and had even managed to give something back to the fund.

He said: “A big thank you to everyone who helped make the workshop and concert such a success.

“We raised nearly £600 for Rosa’s Fund, which will go straight back into realising our aims.

“But once again a big thank you to the children and young people who took part; they promised wows and they delivered them.”