AN art group whose annual exhibitions had become a feature of Harpenden have decided to disband. The 2000 Group of Artists held their last exhibition in May and decided that because of illness and members moving away that they could no longer continue. Th

AN art group whose annual exhibitions had become a feature of Harpenden have decided to disband.

The 2000 Group of Artists held their last exhibition in May and decided that because of illness and members moving away that they could no longer continue.

The group was formed by seven artists in the town in the summer of 2000 because they felt Harpenden was bereft of good art exhibitions and they wanted to raise money for charity at the same time.

They always held the exhibition in Park Hall to coincide with the Harpenden annual carnival each May because passers-by on their way to Rothamsted Park would pop in to see what they were showing.

One of the members, John Hellings, said that all of them were amateur painters who knew each other and became even friendlier as a result of forming the 2000 Group.

But their numbers were dwindling and even though they invited guest artists to join them, they felt it was time to call it a day.

John said: "We had a lot of fun doing it but when you are an organisation which is not having younger people coming in, it only has a finite time."

Over the years, the 2000 Group has sold 263 paintings for almost �50,000 enabling them, with cash donations, to donate �8,000 to local charities including The Across Trust, Childline, Harpenden Mencap, Grove House Hospice, the MS Society, Harpenden Gateway Club and St Helen's Junior School in Wheathampstead.