The Stowmarket and District Lions Club preparing for their art show at the John Peel Centre in Stowmarket. L-R: Keith Cooper (president of Lions), Kirk Glander (artist), Frances Standrin, Kevin Standrin, Sheila Ravenscroft and Ernie Pearce

THE newly-opened John Peel centre is hosting an art show which is hoping to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

The Stowmarket Lions is promising more than 300 pieces of art at the exhibition in the John Peel Centre for Creative Arts in the town.

A Friday-night preview event has already sold out with 120 people due to attend.

Show organiser for the Lions, Kevin Standrin said: “There will be a wonderful range of local art. It’s the first time we have worked with the John Peel centre, it’s a good collaboration. You only have to look at the building to know the venue’s perfect for this type of event; it’s an attraction on it’s own.

John Peel’s widow Sheila Ravenscroft said: “It’s obviously very important [for the building to be used by community groups]. We want the building to be used by all the time, it’s important that it is. We want it to be used right across the board: it’s not just for music events, it’s for everything. We have to all work together, that’s what we hope to do.”

The show opens on the weekend of March 2-3, from 10am to 6pm on Saturday and 10am-4pm on the Sunday.

Admission is £1.