FORTY years ago this November, Ian and Jean Wheeler decided to hold a Country and Western themed evening in Much Marcle Village hall to raise funds for local good causes.

Now they are looking back on four decades of helping the local community.

And they plan to celebrate the 40-year milestone with a special event on Saturday November 24 at the Rushall Working men’s Club with live music, hog roast, and most importantly the presentation of cheques to various charities.

Mr Wheeler said: “We look forward to welcoming friends old and new to support this very special occasion. Looking back, the event on that cold November evening of 1978 was such a success we decided to repeat the venture and since then have organised more than 900 gigs, about one or more concerts a month”.

Mr and Mrs Wheeler's selfless work has raised many thousands of pounds for charities including the Air Ambulance, the Cobalt Unit for Breast Cancer, Macmillan, Marie Curie, Cancer Research, St Michael’s Hospice, Dementia Awareness and many others.

The musical evenings have been held in various locations The Royal Oak pub, but the most regular of all is The Rushall Working Men’s Club, known as The Cowshed.

These popular evenings attract local performers, and others from as far afield as Ireland, and promise an eclectic mix of country and western, ballads, sounds from the 60s and 70s, which ensure the dance floor is always occupied.

Mr Wheeler provides the buffet suppers, whilst Mr Wheeler tends to coordinate bookings of venue and artists.

The couple, who live in Bye Street, Ledbury are now in their 70s and agree that their motivation is the joy of giving to worthwhile causes, knowing that the money will help someone somewhere.

They also agree that, with their mutual passion for Country and Western, they really enjoy what they do.