May 2024

MMF has raised a record £836 from its partnership with a long-established drama group. Friends and guests bought a total of 113 tickets for the sold-out Agatha Christie whodunnit Witness for the Prosecution, performed by the Willington Players in the Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone, across five days in April. Under a pioneering scheme, the drama group refunds £7.36 to the charity for every £17 ticket sold. For the Willington Players, they saw the theatre packed for every performance. For MMF, it gave supporters an entertaining night out whilst helping the charity.

For the Museum, it provided further financial support for the FlexStep project which eases access for wheelchairs and prams. Last November, a similar partnership raised nearly £500 for the same project, giving a combined sum of more than £1,300 from two productions. Willington Players‘ charity co-ordinator Scott Raffle is delighted with MMF‘s huge support for one of the group’s most popular productions in its 50-year history, saying it was “among the best-ever ticket sales from a partner charity.” MMF co-ordinator and trustee Trevor Sturgess thanked everyone for their support. “Sales well exceeded our target of 100 and we are grateful for the support from so many. We hope they enjoyed this fine production.“

In view of this success, MMF hopes to offer tickets for the Willington Players‘ next play Terence Rattigan’s Flare Path being performed in the Hazlitt from November 5 – 9.