TWO Pembrokeshire College colleagues hoping to trek the Himalayas for the Paul Sartori Foundation are taking their fundraising efforts to the next level with the help of a TV star choir leader.

Life-long friends Debby Kimsey and Karen Humphreys have to raise £2,800 each to take part in the charity trek this October. They have already collected around £2,000 and are training for the event by walking the coastal path, swimming and taking part in various exercise classes.

To help them reach their financial target, the pair have enlisted the help of choir master Grenville Jones to host a “Choir in a Day” workshop.

Grenville leads the Bath Welcome Choir, who hit the headlines through their performances on the BBC’s Last Choir Standing. He appeared on Children in Need with Gareth Malone and has worked with Katherine Jenkins and Aled Jones.

“With Gareth Malone popularising choirs through his TV programmes, we thought this event was quite current, and lots of people enjoy singing,” said Debby. “We want to raise money, but we also want people to have something in return.”

With no auditions or singing experience required, “Choir in a Day” is a real opportunity to learn from the professionals. Taking place at St Martin’s Church Hall, Haverfordwest, on Saturday, April 5 at 1.30pm, the singing workshop will be followed by an evening concert where participants will get to perform alongside the Bath Welcome Choir in Pembrokeshire College’s Merlin Theatre.

“The workshops I lead are for everyone. If you love to sing in the shower or the car and wonder what it is like to sing in a choir, this is the day for you,” said Grenville. “We will work together in the afternoon on a variety of songs – from popular through to folk and perhaps some gospel.”

More details of the workshop can be found at http://choirinaday.moonfruit.com

Workshop tickets are £15, including a meal and the evening performance. Audience tickets are £7 and £5 (under 16’s) and are available from Victoria Bookshop, Haverfordwest.

To make a donation visit www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/DebbyKimseyKarenHumphreys