A DANCE troupe has raised more than £4,000 for a children’s unit at Basingstoke hospital.

A total of 100 children from JG Dance, aged from two-and-a-half to 18, took part in the group’s annual show, which was entitled American Dream and took place at The Haymarket in July.

The show was a great success, raising a grand total of £4,448.78, which the group has donated to Charlie’s Day Unit.

Christine Stefanopoulos, who is the manager of the Basingstoke branch of JG Dance, also works as an outpatients supervisor at the hospital.

She said: “We chose to raise money for Charlie’s Day Unit because it is local to us and does a great job for children. Some of our pupils have been treated here and it’s a great unit.

“Our target was to raise £4,000, so I am delighted with the total we managed to get up to. It’s the most we have ever raised, so everyone is really pleased.

“I’m really proud of the children. They worked together like a family and when it was over, they just wanted to go on stage again.”

Lorraine Major, clinical lead, child health at Basingstoke hospital, who accepted the donation on behalf of the unit, said: “That amount of money will make a real difference. We will ask for feedback from the patients and make sure we use the money in a way that will make a difference to them.

“I want to say a big thank you. Having done some fundraising myself, I know how much effort it takes to raise this much money. The commitment and teamwork it takes is huge, so thank you so much.”