Church concert will help orphans

Jun 26 2009 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A ‘CONCERT for Romania’ in Perth’s North Church tomorrow will raise much-needed funds for abandoned children and young people.

It will also support the efforts by one Perth family to help run summer camps for the under-privileged youngsters.

Local singing group ‘Spectrum’ will be performing their wide repertoire, from madrigals to musicals, from 7.30pm tomorrow.

Among the singers is Jan Manson. Next month, she will travel with fellow North Church member Alison McGonigle and other Christians to Romania to run the summer camp for troubled youngsters.

The camp is being hosted by a team from the Glasgow Westend Vineyard Church, led by Jan’s younger daughter, Julie, and her husband, Laci, a Romanian she met during a working visit to the Eastern European country.

Already in situ in Romania is Jan’s elder daughter, Jenny (24), with her Romanian husband, Cosmin.

Law graduate Jenny also met her future husband while doing volunteer work. Jan says the couple have been “led by God” to live and work with some of these abandoned young people in Romania.

The Manson sisters had been inspired by the involvement of the North Church in a commendable tally of projects to help disadvantaged people, particularly youngsters in Romania.

With the encouragement of their parents – Jan and the late Ian Manson – Jenny and Julie became committed to doing voluntary work in that country.

Ian’s sudden death four years ago deprived Perth’s music scene of one of its leading lights – and a family of a loving husband and father.

In June 2008, Jan, Jenny and Julie organised ‘Songs for Ian’ in the North Church – a concert featuring some of Ian’s favourite songs which raised over £1000 to run a summer camp for orphaned teenagers in Romania.

And Jan hopes tomorrow’s concert plus offers of support from fellow Christians will match last year’s fund-raising.

“For anyone unable to come to the concert, but who wants to support the camp or the work we as a family are involved in, please do not hesitate to contact me,” she said.

“There is much need in Romania and we are seeing first hand the real difference the work can make in the lives of children and young people in what is still a very deprived part of the world.”

The concert in the North Church begins at 7.30pm tomorrow. Tickets – £10 (concessions £5), which includes refreshments – are available at the door on the night or through Jan on 07779 329 587.