A women's choir from the west of the island celebrated its 10th anniversary by holding a fund-raising coffee morning.

The ’Mraane anys Arrane’, or ’Women In Song’ choir, marked their first 10 years singing together by holding a Valentine’s Day-themed coffee morning at the Peel Centenary Centre on Friday morning, which raised £300 for the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group.

The community choir, which was founded by musical director and Cleveland medal winner Karen Elliott on February 12, 2012, was originally known as the Isle of Man Women’s Institute choir.

It was initially formed to take part in a competition devised by the WI to celebrate their centenary.

The choir quickly grew to nearly 30 members and reached the finals, held in Birmingham in 2015.

They have also competed in the Manx Music Festival regularly, winning the coveted Manchester Shield on one occasion and have also travelled to the Bangor International Choral Festival, in Northern Ireland.

In 2017, during a concert tour to Belgium, they took part in The Last Post ceremony at The Menin Gate.

The choir cut their links with the WI in 2018, adopting the Manx Gaelic name ’Mranne anys Arrane’, which translates as ’Women in Song’, and the choir has continued to grow, and now sports a membership of around forty, as well as a permanent accompanist, Karen’s husband John Elliott.

They are now very much a community choir, helping churches and charities to raise funds by giving concerts, helping to raise more than £5,000 for eight local charities. The choir is planning another off-island concert tour in 2023.

For more details, contact choir secretary Su Collins on 844918.