A HAMPSHIRE concert series that has raised thousands of pounds for charity has come to an end.

The final Folklights concert, in Romsey, has been held after 18 years.

One of the organisers of the event, Alison Campion, performed at the final show as a member of local group Beggar’s Belief.

Alison, 62, who organises the event with her husband Peter, 65, said: “It’s always sad when a much-loved event comes to an end but for several reasons this was the right time to stop.

“We may do the occasional one-off special, perhaps for big events such as Romsey Festival.”

Peter said: “We started it because Alison and our friend were nurses at the Romsey Hospital, and we wanted to raise money for our local hospital when the Romsey Hospital Appeal began.

“It’s important to keep live music going, and we tried to introduce people to different styles of music, and show them that you don’t have to stick to the same genre to have fun.”

When discussing the decision to no longer continue with the shows, Peter said: “We felt the music scene has changed and some places where we were sourcing our acts were no longer going, and we felt it was the right time to stop the regular shows.

“That’s not to say we won’t run some other events.

“We will have to do something for Romsey Festival.”

Hundreds of performers have performed on the Folklights stage over the years, helping concerts to raise more than £15,000 for local charities such as the Romsey Opportunity Group, Rose Road Association, Romsey Hospital Appeal, and the Plaza Theatre.

The first Folklights concerts took place at The Plaza Theatre in Romsey, but moved into the Abbey Hotel after becoming a regular series. It later moved to the Lantern Theatre at The Mountbatten School.