A Sheffield literary appreciation society brought the festive mood into the heart of the city centre with their annual fundraising readthrough of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ for a seasonal homeless charity.
The Dickens Fellowship Sheffield Branch, a close-knit literary group dedicated to studying the life and works of Victorian author Charles Dickens, hosted their annual charity ‘A Christmas Carol’ readthrough on Thursday 4 December at Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Funds are being donated to Homeless and Rootless at Christmas (HARC), a Sheffield based, volunteer-led charity. The organisation provides shelter, hot meals and essential wellbeing services for vulnerable people across the festive season, assisting an average of 150 guests each day of their opening period.
Julie Edworthy, Branch Secretary of the Dickens Fellowship Sheffield Branch, said: “HARC is a very worthy and appropriate charity. Dickens supported good causes and it is part of our constitution to help charitable organisations he would have been interested in.”
Upper Chapel Manager Patrick Smith stepped into the role of storyteller for the fourth year running, embodying all of the Dickensian characters in a two-hour readthrough.
Patrick Smith reading A Christmas Carol mid-performance
Patrick said: The fundraiser is about doing some good when the city centre is feeling the effects of homelessness. A Christmas Carol is a significant story as we head into the New Year as we review how we treat others and see the errors of the past.
“In a world focused on billionaires, the story remains really important.”
You can watch an extract from Patrick’s reading below:
Teresa Flack, Chair of Trustees of HARC, said: “We are truly grateful that they have chosen to support Homeless and Rootless at Christmas (HARC) through their readthrough of A Christmas Carol at Upper Chapel to raise funds for our charity.
“This event captures the spirit of Dickens’ work perfectly, reminding us of the importance of compassion and community at Christmas.
“Contributions from events like this make a real difference in ensuring we can continue to offer dignity and care to those most in need.”
You can donate to HARC now by following the link below Donate to Homeless and Rootless at Christmas | Wonderful.org.
The Dickens Fellowship Sheffield Branch meet monthly at Channing Hall, Surrey St. Membership costs £12 a year.
