A NEW world record was set on Lyme’s Cobb as part of The Hub’s bid to secure £60,000 Lottery funding.

Hundreds of people lined up along the wall on Sunday, ignoring the driving rain, to sing a continuous round of Frère Jacques.

Organised by the Woodroffe School, 410 people, from age three to 93, sang their hearts out, shattering the original record of 220 people.

Film footage now has to be sent off to the Guinness Book of Records for verification.

The event was held to promote the Support The Hub campaign to provide a new youth club for Lyme Regis at the town’s former Boys Club in Church Street.

The Hub is going head-to-head with Portland Gig Rowing Club in the Jubilee People’s Millions, with the winner receiving £60,000.

Six finalists will be televised on ITV Westcountry News from June 27 to 30, with The Hub featuring on Tuesday, June 28 between 5.45pm and 6.15pm.

The two projects will be appealing for viewers’ support in a phone vote, with phone lines opening at 9am on Tuesday and closing at midnight.

This week is the final push of the campaign to spread the word and secure votes for The Hub.

World record attempt organiser and the Woodroffe School’s head of art Dot Wood said: “We were delighted with the support from local people – the number of recognisable faces by far outweighed those of visitors.

“It’s fantastic to know that everyone is backing The Hub campaign and working to provide somewhere that generations of young people can use as their own designated space.”

Hub development worker Fran Williams said: “The record-breaking attempt was utterly fantastic and a credit to Lyme.

“It demonstrates the level of support for the project across the board especially from young people – something that the ITV film crews commented on earlier in the week when they came to make the Jubilee People’s Millions film of The Hub.

“We still have a way to go – the next step is getting these all-important votes and we need help from everybody to do this.”

A group of enthusiastic youngsters were at The Hub building last Thursday to be filmed by the ITV news crew.

Musician Jacques Verhaeren, a music leader with Lyme’s B Sharp youth music project, travelled back from Bristol to support the bid and be interviewed for the programme.

Volunteers are needed for next Tuesday to help publicise the phone vote in areas within a 10-mile radius of Lyme.

Anyone who can help should meet at Lyme Regis Development Trust at 9am. Please contact Fran Williams at <&bh"mailto:fran@lrdt.co.uk">fran@lrdt.co.uk<&eh> or 07968 177663, or attend the marketing meeting on Thursday at 4.30pm at the development trust.

The phone vote number will also be available at <&bh"http://www.hublyme.co.uk">www.hublyme.co.uk<&eh> You can vote up to 10 times from the same number and calls will cost 11pm from a landline, mobiles will vary.