A CONCERT held at a Carmarthenshire school raised more than £3,000 for the Welsh branch of a national health charity.

James Hancock-Evans from St Clears organised the jazz concert which was held at Griffith Jones School on Saturday, October 28, with proceeds going to Parkinson’s UK Cymru.

The 33-year-old organised the concert as his uncle was diagnosed with Parkinson’s six years ago. He said: “I’ve seen first-hand the impact that Parkinson’s has on my uncle, so I wanted to fundraise for Parkinson’s UK to help them find a cure for this horrible condition.”

180 people attended the concert and saw a number of solo singers perform alongside the St Clears Swingers jazz band.

The concert raised £3,500 through ticket sales, a raffle and donations from local businesses.

Keri McKie, Parkinson’s UK Cymru’s Wales community fundraiser, said: “We are so grateful to James for organising this event for Parkinson’s UK Cymru.

“With more than 40 potential symptoms, Parkinson’s can devastate lives. We’ve made huge breakthroughs in the last 50 years, but there is still no cure and current treatments are not good enough.

“We hope that James’ fundraising inspires you to get involved with Parkinson’s UK. There are lots of ways for you to get involved and support us – from volunteering at an event, to campaigning for better services. Without the generosity of people like you, our work would not be possible.”

Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world and there is no cure.

Around 153,000 people in the UK are affected and two more people are diagnosed every hour. There are more than 40 symptoms of Parkinson’s which can range from tremor and pain to anxiety.

Parkinson’s UK is the largest charitable funder of Parkinson’s research in Europe, leading the way to better treatments and a cure.

For more information about Parkinson’s, visit www.parkinsons.org.uk or call 0808 800 0303.