A FATHER'S donation of a kidney to help his son has inspired a fund-raising concert in a south Warwickshire village.

The concert at Whichford, near Shipston, is part of a weekend of activities in the village culminating in next Monday's annual flower show.

Richard Blencowe decided to stage the event in aid of Dr Clark's Memorial Fund for Kidney Transplantation after village resident Jim Keeling, who runs the famous Whichford Pottery, donated a kidney to his son, Adam.

Adam, aged 20, fell ill last year and was diagnosed with kidney failure after visiting his doctor last November.

"When I was diagnosed my dad was tested immediately and they found there was a match, so I never actually went on the donor list," he explained. The cause of his kidney failure has never been discovered, but the transplant was carried out in Oxford about eight weeks ago and father and son are now recovering.

"Things are really good," said Adam. "I had a bit of rejection at the beginning, but that's been sorted out and they are beginning to reduce my drugs, which is a good step. Things are going well and my dad's pretty active now."

Tomorrow night's concert takes place in a 'Baby Big Top' on the village green and features the band Freeway Jam and a support group. It starts at 8pm and tickets priced at £5 are available from the pottery on 01608 684416, Mr Blencowe on 01608 684007 or the village pub, The Norman Knight.

Another highlight of the Whichford weekend is a series of events starring African dance and drum group, Brekete.

The group is holding workshops in the Baby Big Top, loaned by the National Lottery-backed Live and Local, on mask making tomorrow (Friday) and on Saturday morning. On Saturday and Sunday there will also be sessions of African dance and drumming, culminating in a grand performance during the flower show on Monday featuring those involved in the workshops.

The Whichford and Ascott Flower Show has been going since the 1920s and as well as Brekete it has a whole host of attractions this year. The village church is the venue for the flower, vegetables, produce and craft show and elsewhere there is a fun dog show, pig roast, sheepdog display, juggling, stalls, children's sports, vintage tractors, Punch and Judy and six-a-side football.