A TWYFORD man is set to host a charity concert to help fund life-saving equipment at a nearby hospital.

Folk singer songwriter Darren Black, who lives in the village near Winchester, will play at Twyford Village Hall in June to help raise a quarter of a million pounds for a new portable CT scanner at Southampton General Hospital.

Local charity, Percy’s Pals, was set up after the death of 47-year-old Twyford resident Richard Percival in 2013, and all funds raised from the night will go towards funding the vital equipment that could save others from the same fate.

The Wessex Neurological ITU, a wing of Southampton General Hospital, specialises in treating victims of stroke and brain injury from all over the south, and the portable brain scanner could shave minutes off of treatment time which is crucial to survival and recovery.

Darren, who has recently released his third album Rise Above the Mumblings, said he is pleased to combine his love of music with charity.

“I just thought that a gig was a good way of raising money which is why I put it to Percy’s Pals about organising it and they were keen to do it,” he said.

“People are behind it. I’m ecstatic obviously because I gig all over the place, and this is a good opportunity to bring the two together in Twyford [charity and music], and isn’t something that happens often here.”

The folk fiddler has worked with the likes of legendary Dave Swarbrick, Joe Broughton and Kevin Dempsey, and admits he has written most of his fourth album already, which he plans to record this summer.

Tickets for the concert on June 7 at 7.15pm cost £8, or £4 for under-16s, and are available on the door or in advance from Roger Walker Travel, The Phoenix, The Bugle and Twyford Stores.