A BENEFIT concert at Newport Memorial Hall raised a generous sum of £2,500 for Syrian refugees on November 1.

Organised by Jess Hope, the evening included a variety of entertainment and delicious food from the Middle East.

Jess, a member of the local Amnesty group, explained to the packed hall her close links with Syria, through her son. He visited Syria after his education in Pembrokeshire and not only fell in love with the country, but also his now Syrian wife.

Large parts of the country have since been destroyed by war, with half of the population finding themselves homeless. Jess’s son and wife have been forced out of their home to Lebanon, and work as a translator and in the refugee camps.

Due to immigration restrictions, Jess has only met her daughter-in-law over Skype. She said: “Ola first contacted me to wish me happy mother’s day. I was so touched and we have stayed in contact ever since.”

Brian Marks, compere for the evening, pointed out what a wonderful sense of community Newport has in order to bring together this stunning concert of music, drama and cuisine with an Arab theme.

“It is right” he said, “that we share our good fortune around a bit, so spend, spend, spend,” and people did.

Future events with a Middle Eastern theme are advertised on Newport Hall’s website. The next is a Palestine evening with films, food and discussion on Tuesday, December 2.