Monmouth Comprehensive School Friends' association invited families into school for their first ever race night which members of the community enjoyed.

MCS Friends is a group run by volunteers, which organises events twice a year to raise money for the school and to bring the school community together in an informal atmosphere.

Quiz and bingo nights have been well received in past years and the Friends are always looking for new ways of bringing families together in school. They also sell second -hand uniform collected in school through Magic Cottage charity shop next to the Shire Hall .

A spokesman for MCS Friends said: “It was a fun evening with families really getting into the spirit of the event, with everyone cheering on their horses and collecting their winnings with smiles on their faces and a lot of laughter.”

“The atmosphere was heightened by the wonderful music provided by MCS students and we all enjoyed Gloria Sacree’s lovely flute playing, Jack Painter with his easy, mellow singing voice and Evie Jones- who was the most recent winner of Monmouth’s Got Talent, with her beautiful operatic tones.”

Matt Royston and Sam Chilton managed the racing event along with the event being supported by equipment bought by MCS friends with a national lottery community grant.

Funds which were raised at the event have gone towards The Friends staff requests scheme which allows staff to apply directly to the friend's association for funds to support their subject area. Funds have been used to support projects right across the school curriculum and all year groups.

You can donate when you shop online through Easyfundraising.org.uk and to support The Monmouth Comprehensive School Friends' Association.