An East Hampshire church will host a thanksgiving service in memory of a Petersfield businessman, charity fundraiser and town councillor who “lived and worked to the full”.

Charity market co-organiser Martin Holmes died in January after losing a brave fight against cancer.

Tributes to the hard-working and “always cheerful” former trader will be paid at St Mary Magdalen Church in Sheet from 2pm next Wednesday, March 11.

Martin, who owned a local removals firm and ran a local printing business, began his working life as a Saturday boy in The Petersfield Bookshop.

There will also be a minute’s silence in Martin’s memory when the Giant Easter Charity Market he co-organised with his brother Jeremy takes place in Petersfield Festival Hall on Saturday, April 4.