Chippenham business owner Rachel Terry is backing a concert raising money for families struck by last weekend’s devastating typhoon in support of her Filipino sister-in-law.

Mrs Terry, who owns the Citadel Hall, in Bath Road, has offered the venue free of charge for the concert on Saturday after hearing her sister-in-law’s account of the disaster.

Edel Terry, who was born in the Philippines, works as a nurse in Bedford, but many of her family members live in the island nation, including her parents, and she remains concerned for their health and safety.

Mrs Terry met many of her family members when Edel married her husband’s brother Malcolm and said talking to her brought the reality of the disaster home.

She said: “My sister-in-law is not in a very good way at the moment. She has a Filipino community around her and they are trying to support each other, but they are feeling so helpless and desperate.

“There are so many places that the relief hasn’t got to yet, and we’re only seeing cameras on a few of the places. They all know of so many people who have lost their families.

“She has managed to get hold of most of them. Her parents, who are quite elderly, are in an area that has been flooded, but they are in one of the few houses which haven’t been flattened, so they are feeding other families who have lost everything.”

The concert is being organised by Kandu Arts, a Chippenham not-for-profit organisation which runs arts and sports projects for young people.

It begins at 7pm and will star youngsters taking part in musical projects with the organisation, including original music written by them.

Kandu Arts has organised several concerts in the past, including some in aid of the Ethiopian crisis and the Haiti earthquake disaster, and it is hoped this one will attract similar support.

Mrs Terry is also collecting spare clothes for families in the Philippines, which will be sent out to communities in need by the Filipino community in Bedford.

She said: “They’re desperate for clothes and they’re arranging for some couriers who will do it for free or at a cost to take some clothes out. They need T-shirts, shorts and skirts, especially for the children.

“If every teenager coming brings one or two of their old T-shirts, they will make a difference. They can send it to a community that will be grateful for it and will use it.”

Ed Deedigan, director of Kandu Arts, said: “To see the situation that those unfortunate families find themselves in moves us because we work with young people on a daily basis.

“Obviously we can do what we can to show some support emotionally, but also physically in raising money for aid.”

Tickets for the concert are £5 for adults and £3 for young people. To book tickets, call 07811 809216.