Fund-raising champion Sharon Moore is in celebration mood after reaching her £25,000 target with donations from people visiting a Christmas Tree Festival.

Fund-raising champion Sharon Moore is in celebration mood after reaching her £25,000 target with donations from people visiting a Christmas Tree Festival.

Miss Moore has been raising cash for Cystic Fibrosis for the past eight years and her involvement in the 2008 Fakenham church tree festival has brought her total to her landmark £25,000.

When she set out to raise funds for CF, a condition which her cousin, Donna Leaver, suffers from and who was Sharon's inspiration to raise cash for research, she set herself a target of raising that figure by 2010, so she has reached it two years early.

News of her success comes as the successful week-long Fakenham tree festival came to a close after it was visited by thousands of people and has raised a total of £20,000 for the many charities taking part. Events connected with the Festival, including a Christmas market, raffle and tombola, have raised around £18,000 for funds which will help towards the on-going restoration of the church building.

Miss Moore said she was delighted to have reached her target two years early.

“I am overjoyed and want to thank the public who, despite the difficult economic climate, have dipped into their pockets and given my charity donations. I sincerely want to thank everyone who donated 10 pence or £100. I will now set a new target of £30,000 by 2010,” said Miss Moore, of Great Ryburgh. Fakenham Rector, the Rev Adrian Bell, has described the Festival, which saw 80 trees decorated by different charities and attracted 20,000 visitors, as the “best ever”.

Mr Bell said that in the current credit crunch atmosphere the cash had come in for the charities in smaller amounts but from larger numbers of people.

“This event has been a real community effort and I see it as a fusion between church and the community and puts the church at the heart of the community,” said Mr Bell.

He added : “Overall I am very pleased with the way the Festival has gone and I would like to thank the army of people who have helped in any way to contribute to its success.”

He particularly thanked the St John's Ambulance and the police for their help and the Fakenham Air Cadets for helping with the stewarding.