A RECRUITMENT firm created and launched its very own Christmas single to raise money for a Sussex children’s charity.

Now Hove-based Pier Recruitment has donated more than £6,000 to Rockinghorse to mark its50th anniversary.

Director Katie Gibson was inspired by a visit to the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton, of which Rockinghorse is the official fundraising arm.

Katie and her team then set about writing a festive song to raise funds.

They enlisted the support of local businesses to sponsor and sing on the track and then recorded vocals and produced a video for the song called ‘Santa Stop Here.’

Additional support was provided by North Brighton Recording Studios and Huga Digital Marketing.

The companies who took part to sing on the track were The Focus Group, Posh Totty Designs, ZST Architects, Mercedes-Benz of Brighton, Quality Care Insurance Services, Domestic and General, Cobb Digital, Holiday Taxis, Neilson Holidays, and children from Bird Studios/BRICTT.

Launch night sponsors were QA Apprenticeships, Purple Armadillo Pubs, Natural World Safaris and Harper Stone.

Since the single was launched on November 22, more than 3,100 people have viewed the video online and the song has raised £6,404 for Rockinghorse via text donations and sponsorship.

The funds raised will support ongoing projects at the Alex as well as the neighbouring Trevor Mann Baby Unit in Brighton and its sister site, the Special Care Baby Unit in Haywards Heath.

Katie said: “It has been fantastic to see what seemed a complex and rather mad idea become a reality.

“We have been taken aback by the overwhelming support from local companies who have helped us make the project a resounding success.

“There was a lot of hard work involved but seeing what we have achieved for such an excellent cause is totally worth it.

“This isn’t the first thing we have done for the charity, and it certainly won’t be the last.

“But for now all I can say is ‘thank you’ again to everyone who has donated and/or been involved.

“It was a whirlwind, but we did it!”

Rockinghorse chief executive Ryan Heal said: “We have been blown away by the determination of Katie and the team at Pier to make this single a success, and are overwhelmed with the amount of money raised.

“The support of all the other businesses has certainly not gone unnoticed and we are extremely grateful to everyone who worked hard to ensure Santa Stop Here was a big success.”

Rockinghorse recently celebrated its Golden Jubilee, raising £500,000 in 2017 to support ten beneficiary projects at children’s centres and paediatric services across the county.

To find out more about the charity you can visit www.rockinghorse.org.uk