MEMBERS of Warrington's prestigious male voice choir have raised more than £700 for Chinese orphans.

Choir secretary, Ian Scholes, and his wife, Jean, held an informal garden party at their Orford home to raise cash for the Chinese orphanage charity 'Childhood Friends'.

The charity, co-founded by Warrington woman Julia Hopper, works to gain access to the many thousands of children who have been abandoned into some of the most basic and inadequate care facilities in the world.

Often the products of the Chinese policy on population control, the children, many of which are disabled, are left without any mental stimulation for years on end.

The charity provides key workers who visit the orphanages and befriend the children, offering them much needed family care and emotional support.

No administration costs are taken from the charity's fundraising activities, and all donations go directly into the project.

The choir has worked with the charity over the past couple of years through Julia Hopper's chorister husband, Geoff. To support 'Childhood Friends', contact the choir on 574800 or Julia on 711621.