A whopping great sum has been handed over to listening charity Samaritans following a music and arts festival.

Tim and Hilary Warren, supported by an army of volunteers, organise Chesil Rocks on their land at Langton Herring each June.

The primary aim of the festival is to raise funds for Weymouth-based Samaritans of Dorset – and this year a cheque for £10,528 was presented.

Branch director Julie Mason described the support from Chesil Rocks as "absolutely fantastic" and said Samaritans were extremely grateful to Tim and Hilary for the contribution the event has made to the branch over the years.

Mrs Warren said: “We are delighted to have raised this amount – which is even more than last year – and are tremendously grateful to all those who have contributed financially, or with their time and effort.”

Mr Warren added: “We have an amazing number of dynamic, creative and hard-working volunteers and helpers, without whom the event would not be possible to stage.

The couple say they try hard to make Chesil Rocks a fantastic and fun event for the whole family, and to have a diverse range of acts, performers and activities. One of the highlights this year was the popular London Gay Men’s Chorus.

Determined to reduce their carbon footprint, organisers ensured all food outlets at Chesil Rocks this year had at least one plant based meal on the menu. They have also done away with single use plastic, ensuring that food outlets served food in compostable containers with wooden cutlery, drinks outlets used reusable plastic glasses and fully compostable water bottles, rubbish was effectively recycled, and even the cable ties used were reusable.

Plans are already advancing for next year’s event, which will be on June 19-20 and fundraising is high on the agenda.

The event will cost around £13,000 to stage, and that figure needs to be raised before anything can be given to the charity.

To support the effort, on the first Wednesday of each month leading up to Christmas, there will be a Chesil Rocks fundraising quiz evening at the newly-refurbished Elm Tree Inn in Langton Herring. Starting at 7.30pm, the aim is to have a fun quiz involving teams of 4-6, although individuals can attend as teams can be made up on the night.

Tickets for the event are £5 per person to enter. For £10 you can get a curry and a drink too.

Tickets can be purchased from the Elm Tree Inn on 01305 871257 or from chesilrocks@gmail.com