Gogglebox meeting was big prize but friends and family play starring role at Catherington Christmas Fayre raises £2,300 for beloved charity

THE BIG prize in the raffle was afternoon tea at Stansted House with Stephen Webb and Chris Steed of Channel 4 reality show Gogglebox.

But the big stars on Saturday were the friends and relatives that organised a Christmas Fayre in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association on behalf of Ashley and Lisa Tong.

The event in Catherington All Saints Church Hall, which featured a raffle, tombola and numerous stalls, raised an impressive £2,300 for the MND Association.

Lisa and Ashley have raised more than £20,000 for Epilepsy Research UK and the MND Association since their three-year-old daughter, Amelia Mae, died following a seizure in 2014.

The former was diagnosed with MND just a few weeks later but that didn’t stop the couple from holding two Christmas fayres, with friends and family since agreeing to continue their good work.

“A lot of the crowd that turned up at the beginning stayed all day,” said Mr Tong, who recently moved with his wife from Catherington to Petersfield.

“It was brilliant to raise all that money and see all the friends and family members that have supported us.”