A CANDLELIT Christmas concert was a festive hit with audiences at Swinton Park Hotel in Masham.

The atmospheric concert is held annually to raise funds for charity and featured a candle-lit recital by the 25-strong Christmas choir of Yorkshire Voices and the Yorkshire Decibelles.

Guests enjoyed a three-course gala dinner with champagne as well as music and festive readings.

This year’s concert was in aid of the Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust which works in schools across the North and beyond.

To date, it has supported more than 73,000 pupils in 600 schools to complete its Young Leaders Award, an initiative that has attracted the celebrity backing of TV adventurer, Bear Grylls.

The award teaches leadership skills and helps youngsters to find volunteering placements and lead social action initiatives within their communities.

Mahatma Ghandi’s phrase, ‘be the change you want to see’ is the core value of the Youth Trust.

Following the demonstrable impact of the programme, the Trust is now undergoing a national expansion to ensure that many more young people benefit from this work.