"One more song!"

Please note: this post is 92 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only

You know you're having a good night when you are inspired let your inhibitions go and you get up and have a boogie. 

And that's exactly what happened at our first ever open mic night at Southwark Brewing Company. 

Pat, Amber and the gang found themselves laughing, dancing and singing along to tracks such as 'Shake, rattle and roll', 'Hit me baby one more time' and 'Brown Eyed Girl' – all performed by our talented neighbours. 

The fantastic team at Southwark Brewing Company – who are already proud supporters of South London Cares – welcomed over 60 of their neighbours to their wonderful venue over in SE1. 

Whilst people enjoyed a delicious, freshly brewed batch of beer, they were entertained by a wonderful mix of musicians. 

Volunteers Amber and Ollie kicked the evening off with some fantastic harmonies and tunes including 'A Little Help From My Friends' by The Beatles (arguably a contender for the South London Cares' theme tune!). 

They were followed by Mariel and Calum, who funked out to the likes of 'You can go your own way' and really got the crowd going. 

After a quick beer break, Barry serenaded us with his soulful voice and vintage hits. He was followed by Paddy, who got everyone singing along to 'Hit me baby one more time' and treated us to the original version of 'Galway Girl'. 

The evening was rounded off Ben, Danielle and Paul from our corporate partners AlixPartners. Using a guitar, mandolin and trombone, they got everyone dancing to tunes from the likes of Mumford and Sons, Of Monsters and Men and George Ezra. And in an inspired moment, all of our acts returned to the stage to perform Toto's 'Africa'. 

It was certainly an evening of laughter, joy and new connections – of remembering the importance of shared time and company with our neighbours. And thanks to the generosity of all who attended, £570 was raised to make our autumn activities possible. 

We'd love to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who performed and shared their talents; to the local businesses who kindly donated prizes for our raffle, including the Garden Museum, PeckhamPlex and Oddono's; to everyone who joined us for the night; and of course, to the wonderful Southwark Brewing Company, for hosting our evening and for their continued support of South London Cares. 

If you'd like to see our other upcoming events – or how else to get involved in South London Cares' community fundraising – check out our fundraising page.