British Stars Stand up for Haiti

Alan Rickman, Billy Bragg, Tom Wilkinson, Frances De la Tour and Benjamin Zephaniah are just some of the names headlining a Concert for Haiti next Wednesday (3 February) at TUC Congress House in London.

The concert – organised by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and the TUC – will raise money for the victims of the 12 January earthquake through the TUC Aid Haiti Appeal. Ticket sales from the concert and donations to the TUC Aid Haiti Earthquake Appeal on the night are expected to raise over £100,000.

Performing alongside Billy Bragg will be Cuban band Son Mas, joined by jazz violinist Omar Puente. There will also be readings from Jamaican poet Jean Binta Breeze and speeches from Tony Benn, Ken Loach and actors Frances and Andy De La Tour, who appear alongside Hollywood stars Tom Wilkinson and Alan Rickman.

As well as supporting the TUC Aid Appeal, the Cuba Solidarity Campaign is also raising awareness of and funds for the work of Cuban medical brigades in Haiti following the earthquake.

By 22 January, 400 Cuban medical professionals had treated almost 20,000 patients and performed more than 1,000 operations on earthquake victims. The Cuban doctors, who were already in Haiti volunteering in 127 of Haiti’s 137 municipalities, were among the first to respond when the earthquake struck. They have been joined by 400 Cuban trained Haitian doctors, and another 60 Cuban volunteers from the Henry Reeve Medical brigade, established especially to respond to international medical emergencies. Cuba has also sent ten tonnes of medical aid and 400,000 tetanus vaccines which are being administered by the medical teams now.

Donations to directly support the work of the Cuban medical brigades can be made via the Cuba Solidarity Campaign website www.cuba-solidarity.org.uk or on 020 8800 0155.

The latest information about the concert is available at www.concertforhaiti.co.uk
and donations to TUC Aid Haiti Earthquake Appeal can be made at www.tuc.org.uk/haitiappeal

The concert takes place at Congress House, 23-28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS. Doors open at 6.30pm and the night gets underway at 7pm.

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