A local heart charity has been given a major boost of more than £2,000 after two hugely successful fundraising concerts held at the end of last year.

The North Gwent Cardiac Rehabilitation and Aftercare Charity was chosen as the beneficiary for events hosted by the Tredegar Orpheus Male Voice Choir and the Crickhowell Choral Society — and both nights proved a real hit.

A stirring Remembrance Day celebration

The first concert, held on November 11, saw the Tredegar Orpheus Male Voice Choir deliver a special Remembrance Day performance. Choir secretary Sheridan Jeffreys kept the packed audience entertained with warm humour, while musical director Pauline Roden-Sharpe led everyone in heartfelt renditions of well-loved wartime songs.

Guest singer Stephanie Webber brought extra sparkle to the evening with a polished set of musical-theatre favourites, drawing on her years performing on top cruise ships around the world.

By the end of the night, the event had raised £1,000 for the charity through ticket sales and a popular raffle. The prize, a hamper full of Welsh treats, was donated by charity Trustee Gareth Davies and his wife Andrea. And in a lovely twist, the winner was Tredegar local Gordon Anthony, who, at 91 and after multiple heart attacks and bypass surgery, is still living life to the full: a shining example of how effective modern cardiac treatment and rehab can be.

Festive community carols in Crickhowell

The second concert, held on December 16, was the Crickhowell Choral Society’s much-loved Community Carols event at St Edmunds Church. Families packed into the beautiful 13th Century church to enjoy carols sung by the full choir, local primary school children, and the choir’s gifted choral scholars, whose solo performances captivated the audience.

With generous support for the raffle – this time for a Christmas hamper donated by Blaenavon-based G.O.S. Tool & Engineering Services – plus donations for interval refreshments, the evening raised an impressive £1,246. The raffle winner, Cyril Teasdale, also had a personal link to the cause, as his wife previously benefited from cardiac rehab at Nevill Hall Hospital.

“Absolutely fabulous”

Charity Chairperson Jacky Miles MBE said both concerts were “absolutely fabulous” and expressed heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.

“The support from the Tredegar Orpheus and the Crickhowell Choral Society means we can head into 2026 confident that we can continue to offer our ongoing community-based cardiac rehab exercise classes across the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area,” she said.

The North Gwent Cardiac Rehabilitation and Aftercare Charity provides a weekly programme of nine long-term cardiac rehab exercise classes designed to help people living with heart conditions regain and maintain their fitness and confidence and stay well. The one-hour circuit-based classes are held in community locations across North Gwent, including Abergavenny, Usk, Monmouth, Blaenavon, Ebbw Vale, Abertillery and Tredegar.

• For details of the charity’s classes and how to self-refer, please visit cardiac-rehab.org.uk or call 07856 692 148.