Two of the country’s leading names in the arts will be appearing in Cumbria next month in a special benefit concert to help the victims of the Cumbria floods and recognise the effort made by some of the rescue organisations who helped out at the height of the floods.

Singer Lesley Garrett and actor Brian Blessed will be appearing in A Concert for Cumbria, as well as the Cumbria Youth Orchestra and leading pianist Andrew West.

Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake have kindly donated their venue and staff time to hold the benefit concert, which will take place at 7.30pm on Wednesday 3rd February. The artists performing in the concert are also donating their services and several businesses are donating goods and services.

The concert, which has been organised by Cumbria County Council, is aiming to build on the already considerable fund raising efforts in the aftermath of the November floods. Money raised through ticket sales and charitable donations will be shared 50/50 between the Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund and the rescue organisations who helped keep people safe when the floods hit. These include RNLI, Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association, Bay Search and Rescue, Red Cross, North West Air Ambulance, International Rescue, RSPCA, The Police Dependants Trust, The Fire Fighters Charity and St John’s Ambulance.

Cumbria County Council has offered priority booking to a selected list of guests, by special invitation. Tickets will be available exclusively to these guests until Monday 25 January, on which date any unsold tickets will be made available for sale on a first come, first served basis through Theatre by the Lake from 9.30am onwards on the hotline 017687 81100. Tickets will cost £25 (no discounts) plus invitees are being asked to make a Gift Aid donation of £25 when they buy the ticket. This is the best way of ensuring the charities receive the maximum possible donations.

Lesley Garrett’s performance will allow fans a sneak preview of her full recital due later in the year on Saturday 5th June at Carlisle’s Sands Centre. For more details of that performance visit www.thesandscentre.co.uk (external link) or call 01228 625 222.

Cllr Roger Bingham, Chairman of Cumbria County Council, said:

“It has been an extraordinary effort to pull together a concert with such big names in the arts at such short notice. The artists themselves must be thanked for donating their time for free, as must Theatre by the Lake for hosting the event and putting in a great deal of staff time to help organise the event. Many other businesses and suppliers have also offered spectacular support.

“A Concert for Cumbria will raise money not only for the victims of the flood but also reward the sterling work of the rescue services over that critical flood weekend. It will be a night of celebration to mark the great efforts in the flood recovery operation. There’s still plenty more work to do, but a lot has been achieved in a very short space of time.”