A CONCERT compered by one of the country's top industrialists is set to bring in £5,000 for Kemp Hospice.

The Young Proms event will hit the stage on Saturday, January 18 with Digby Jones, director general of the CBI, introducing the entertainment and hosting an auction.

Kidderminster College lecturer Jane Dunn is organising the evening with husband Chris and hopes her old friend Mr Jones will help pull in the crowds to Kidderminster Town Hall.

"Digby has always been of the mind he's been very lucky in life and if this is a way of putting a few more bums on seats he's more than happy to do so."

Mrs Dunn, of Slad Lane, Wolverley, has supported charities in the past but this is her first event in aid of Kemp Hospice's appeal to raise funds to move to a former hotel in Kidderminster's Mason Road.

She added: "Digby has always lived in and around Worcestershire and he's done a lot of work for St Mary's Hospice in Birmingham."

In 1998 he raised the staggering sum of £125,000 for the city hospice by a sponsored cycle from John O'Groats to Land's End.

Di Willetts, a friend of Mrs Dunn, put on a clay pigeon shoot last year for the appeal and helped inspire her to stage next week's concert.

"I've always thought 'Why not raise some money'?" she added.

Sponsorship will cover overheads and Mrs Dunn is aiming to get a full house of 450 to rake in £4,000 from ticket sales.

An auction of items - including tickets to see Manchester United - hosted by Mr Jones could add another £1,000.

l For details about the concert see Page 36.