THE Walden Buskers have chosen Support 4 Sight as their charity of the year for 2012.

The buskers have been together for over 30 years and their spiritual home is the Kings Arms in Market Hill, where they ran a Folk Club for many years.

They play a wide range of music which includes English, Irish, Scottish, and foreign traditional songs and play at many venues in the area, currently working with the Bell School of Language in Cambridge and perform for them every year.

On Tuesday Paul Atkins, Support 4 Sight’s centre manager, met the Buskers at a Jubilee Street Party in West Road Saffron Walden to collect a cheque for �350.

“This is fantastic news for Support 4 Sight, to be chosen as the Walden Buskers charity for this year,” said Mr Atkins.

“As I walked down West Road to collect the cheque, I could hear the Buskers singing and entertaining the residents, they sounded fantastic and well worth a listen.

“The money raised will go towards our Capital Appeal to raise funds for a new centre. We are fast outgrowing the centre and need more space to allow us to continue to provide our many services to those with sight loss.

“I would like to say thanks to Peter Savic (singer), Michael Snow (accordion), Tim Penn (flutes, whistles, pipes) and Dom Bonito (guitar and banjo), for their singing and musical talents to raise funds for Support 4 Sight.”

Support 4 Sight assisted over 3,000 people throughout west Essex last year. Queries about the charity’s services or donations to support its services, should be made to Paul Atkins on 01799 523700, or e-mail paul@support4sight.org.uk or call into the centre at 2&4 George Street, Saffron Walden, Essex.

The Walden Buskers, some headlines from their long career

• Sold 500 albums in two years.

• Once played to over 1000 people at BP House in London.

• Once played to less than a dozen people in the Kings Arms.

• Have been heard on BBC radio and seen on BBC TV.

• Have played over 450 gigs over 30 years.

• Favourite Band of The Bell International Language School.

• Ran The Buskers Folk Club at the Kings Arms for 10 years.

• Have helped raise quite a lot of money for various charities.