FUNDRAISERS helping a Caldicot youngster are bracing themselves for what is expected to be their biggest collection yet when Tom Jones comes to town this week.

Chepstow Racecourse has come on board with the Help Imogen Walk appeal, with 10,000 people set to flock to the venue to see the Welsh pop icon perform tomorrow (on Friday).

Very few tickets are still available for the concert, priced at around £60.

Imogen Ashwell-Lewis, two, suffers from a debilitating nerve-muscle condition known as spastic diplegia cerebral palsy and the campaign has a £40,000 target to fund an operation to help her walk unaided.

The appeal, through the Tree of Hope charity, has reached the half way mark thanks to a series of local events. Imogen’s mum Catherine Ashwell-Rice is looking forward to her team of eight fundraisers further spreading the word about her daughter’s cause.

She said: “We are very excited to see how much can be raised. It’s such a big event and quite a lot of people will be already aware of what we are doing. We are grateful to Chepstow Racecourse for supporting us.”

Collectors will be based at exits of the racecourse from after the third race until the end of the concert. At its Jools Holland concert last month, £1,100 was raised for Tenovus, the cancer charity’s most successful fundraiser so far in South East Wales.

Chepstow Racecourse’s executive director, Phil Bell, said: “We are delighted to help this good cause and urge racegoers to give generously on what will be a fantastic night of entertainment.”

Contact the racecourse on 01291 622260.