MORE than £20,000 was raised to help a hospice and various dementia projects at a special concert held in York’s Barbican centre.

Singer Ian Donaghy, known as Big Ian organised the event, A Night to Remember, and more than 1,400 people turned up to enjoy the show featuring a variety of performers.

And Stuart Paver, managing director of York-based global footwear company Pavers, agreed to match the amount raised beyond £10,000 pound-for-pound.

Half will go to St Leonard’s Hospice, with the rest being divided between several dementia schemes in the area..

York widower Steve Harris and his family came on stage to speak about the importance of the hospice in caring for his wife Janine, who suffered from motor neurone disease and died recently after a suspected heart attack.

Steve said people told him afterwards how brave they had been to go on stage so soon after his wife’s funeral on Wednesday.

“I’d like to say I’m not as brave as Janine was, but my children, along with the rest of the family, were so brave to get up in front of so many people the day after laying Janine to rest.”

The concert is now in its fifth years and the audience also watched a moving dementia awareness film made with children from York’s Carr Junior School, and edited by Kev Curran, from Inspired Youth.