GRAYS will echo to the sound of music this afternoon (Sunday, 4 September) when the borough based AOFAC (Anthonia Oyindamola Folakemi Afelumo Coshare) Foundation hosts its annual Praise Party in the High Street.

Yesterday Foundation members and supporters took part in an annual fundraising walk through the street of Grays.

Today turns to a celebration with perfomances from many singers throughout the day in the High Street from 1pm to 5pm.

The Foundation was set up following the death in 2012 of Anthonia Oyindamola Folakemi Afelumo Coshare, a gifted young Grays student.

Anthonia was a vibrant 18 year old whowas academically gifted and having just received outstanding results at her 'A' levels was on the verge of going to university when she died after contracting Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) – a very rare blood condition.

Anthonia wanted to get into healthcare and to specialise in TTP to help others; her wanted to continue her fight against this condition and keep her memories alive so formed the Foundation in her name in 2013 to promote awareness of the condition and fundraise to help research into it.