FOREST volunteers have helped at refugee camps in northern France and now a fund-raising concert is being held.

Individuals from Newnham, Blakeney, Bullo Pill, Blaisdon, Chaxhill, Popes Hill, Newent and Ruardean Hill have all travelled to assist in the camps in recent months.

Now three local bands have joined together to offer a night of music to raise funds for the ongoing needs at the Grande-Synthe camp in the suburb of Dunkirk near Calais.

The Sad Dads, Boys in the Wood, and Who Killed the Bear? will all play at the cricket club hall in Westbury-on-Severn this Saturday (February 13).

The first band on stage will be the Sad Dads at 8pm.

There will be T-shirts available featuring a woodcut image from local artist Steve Hyslop who was in the first convoy of volunteers to go to the camp with aid, with ABC – Aid Box Convoy – the Bristol-based charity which formed to address the emergency.

Steve Hyslop was moved to create the woodcut based on two of the children at the camp. Their mother was delighted and agreed that the image could be used to raise funds for the camp.

The first print from the woodcut will be given to one randomly selected donor who gives via the web page created through local charity the Asha Foundation.

The image also features on the T-shirts and tickets and posters for the fundraiser this weekend.

One of the Forest volunteers said: “The lack of provisions and the muddy squalor shock most witnesses into action.

“There’s all sorts of opinions about the rights and wrongs and the bigger picture but everyone says that you cannot stand by when people live like this.”

Steve Hyslop organised the gig with the bands this Saturday and he says he will make sure that all money raised will get to the camp to get the families through the winter.

He said: “We won’t be banging on about the situation. We just hope everyone comes and has a great night with three great local bands.”