A charity with a focus on social mobility has received a festive boost to the tune of £3,215.

The money, which will swell the coffers of the Highfield Centenary Bursaries Fund, was raised at a successful Christmas shopping evening at Highfield and Brookham School at the end of the November.

Thirty specialist stallholders turned the sports hall of the nursery, pre-prep and prep school in Liphook into a veritable Santa’s grotto of luxury goods, with everything from silk scarves, jewellery and rum to festive wreaths, cheese boards and cushions on sale.

As well as making a donation to charity in return for running a stall at the Christmas shopping event, stallholders also donated items for a series of beautiful hampers which were raffled off to swell the charity coffers further.

Highfield and Brookham Head Suzannah Cryer said Christmas really had come early for the Centenary Bursaries Fund thanks to the generosity of the stallholders and the many visitors who took the opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping.

“Christmas is a time for giving and thinking of others,” she said, “so to raise such a wonderful amount for the bursaries fund, something which has had a profound effect on the lives of many families since the scheme’s inception in 2007, is fantastic.

“We are fortunate to live and work in such an amazing school which offers so many opportunities for our children, so it’s more important than ever that we give back to the community whenever we can.”

Highfield Centenary Bursaries Fund was set up 17 years ago with the aim of supporting children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend an independent school such as Highfield and Brookham. Typical candidates are children who are experiencing social or educational difficulties or children who have the ability to succeed academically if given the right support.

The businesses involved in the Christmas shopping evening were Albie & Mac, Label Lady, Roost UK, Happy Hands Pottery Painting, Little Fish Sushi, Hawkley Inn, Ellie and Bea, Rum and Reggae, Collecting Seashells, Ziorva, Everything for Christmas, Nettle & Nutmeg, Tawny Owl Wood, The Blacksmith’s Daughter, Combe Cottage Pottery, Eco Deco, Vorwerk UK, Tucca Swim, Hogmoor Distillery, Sublime Pilates, D’Arcy Niven Design, Suzie at the Old Studio, Silk Works London, Isimi, Curated Tube, Craftiful Studio, The Gay Farmer, Noble and Stace Chocolatiers, Taylor & Lock, and Agape Sophia.