ILKLEY musician Rupert Stroud brought the house down at The Wardrobe, Leeds, this weekend, raising an amazing £2,010 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

The singer/songwriter played the charity gig on the evening of Saturday, April 16, resulting in a huge boost in funds for the dementia research charity.

This was the first in a series of fundraising concerts Rupert is planning across the country this year. The next will be on Friday, July 15 at The Portland Arms, Cambridge.

Rupert was supported by London singer/songwriter Charlie Hole and joined by his eldest brother, Robson Stroud, who warmed up the crowd as comedy compère. There was also a raffle with £1,000 worth of prizes up for grabs, all donated by local businesses.

The 28-year-old’s indie-rock sounds have seen him open concerts for the likes of Texas and James Blunt. He is currently writing and recording his third album, after his last, Chasing the Night, received critical acclaim. His Talk to You EP, which was released last spring, reached number 11 in the iTunes singer/songwriter charts, sitting comfortably between Ed Sheeran and Ben Howard.

Rupert said: “It was a really fantastic night and the audience were a joy to perform for. Our special guest, Charlie Hole, played a great opening set to kick off the night. The band and I took to the stage to thunderous applause from the audience. We had a brilliant time playing a mixture of some of my more well-known songs, some fun covers and a few brand new tunes which will be on my upcoming album, due for release later this year.”

Rupert was first inspired to support Alzheimer’s Research UK when he lost his grandma, Eileen Heyes, to Alzheimer’s disease in 2009. After a long struggle with the condition, it left her bed-bound and unable to talk or even recognise her family.

Rupert said: “I’m so pleased that we raised over £2,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK. I’d like to thank everyone for their generosity – the funds will help power world class research into prevention, diagnosis and treatments for dementia.”

There are around 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK and one in three people over 65 will die with the condition.

Hannah Reynolds, Community Fundraising Executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK, added: “We can’t thank Rupert enough for his continuous support. All the money that his gigs raise bring us closer to defeating dementia. The condition doesn’t just affect a person’s memory but can also cause difficulty walking, communicating and carrying out everyday tasks such as washing and dressing. We must do all we can to find treatments and ultimately a cure for this devastating condition.”