FAMILIES from across Oxfordshire joined forces to raise the roof at a charity concert.

Parents and young children starred in Oxford's very first Raise Your Voice show at West Oxford Community Centre on Saturday.

The initiative was founded by music teacher Bella Brown, from Cowley, who set up four choirs after moving to Oxford last September.

Family choirs from East and North Oxford came together with moms and pops groups from West Oxford and Abingdon for the concert, and Ms Brown was delighted with the outcome.

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The 26-year-old said: "The whole idea was to have a bit of fun and show our family and friends what we've been working on, as well as raising money.

"The fact that they sounded great was just an added bonus.

"It's been really lovely to see how quickly a community has grown around it, especially for new mums.

"I know it's been a really great thing to do in their maternity leave and do something with like-minded people that's not just about their babies."

The concert raised money for two charities close to participants' hearts: SSNAP, which is based at the John Radcliffe Hospital and supports the families of sick and premature babies, and Oxfordshire Breastfeeding Support.

Representatives from the two organisations spoke at the event, with George Gonzalez-Matthews of SSNAP explaining that the benefits will be felt far and wide.

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She said: “It was really special to see all the parents and their little ones and know that we’ve got the support in the community. Things like this are really important for new parents too.”

Ms Brown founded Raise Your Voice when studying for a masters in 2017 and now hopes the concert can become an annual event.

The choirs now meet twice a week, allowing new parents, plus mums and dads of primary age children, to share their passion for music with their offspring.

The Moms and Pops groups practice on Tuesday lunchtimes at the community centre and Thursday lunchtimes at The Northcourt Centre in Abingdon.

Family groups meet on Tuesdays after school hours at St Andrew’s School, Headington, and on Saturday mornings at the North Oxford Association Community Centre in Summertown.