The last remaining founder member of a Powys football club is holding a concert to "celebrate life" and to thank everyone who has helped him after surviving a car crash shortly before Christmas.

Carno born-and-bred Bernard Evans, aged 79, was rescued by paramedics who found him trapped inside his car which landed on its roof after crashing through a hedge near Clatter.

It was almost 64 years since Bernard was involved in a crash with his two friends Meirion Rowlands and Edward Jones who later went on to found Carno Football Club after sharing their dream to establish a club while in hospital.

Bernard's health deteriorated last year which culminated in the crash during the lead-up to Christmas. He ended up staying overnight in hospital but miraculously only suffered cuts and bruises.

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Doctors later told him that he had stopped breathing because he was suffering from a chest infection.

Bernard has since made a good recovery - to the extent that he is now driving again - and continues to get things back to normal.

"That’s why I’m thanking God, and why I’m doing that concert," Bernard said.

A concert to thank being alive will be held at St John's Church in Carno at 7pm on Sunday, April 28. Some of north Powys' best singers and entertainers will be performing at the event compered by local auctioneer and comedian Glyn Owen including a bilingual singalong with Penybontfawr Male Voice Choir and soloists Josephine Roberts, Ruth Jones and Val Owen, and Jessamy Ashton.

Bernard, a Carno Railway Station campaigner and former cutting room manager at the Laura Ashley factory, said: "I was trapped inside the car, and I said to myself this was the end of me because the heater was flat-out, but as luck happened, I had a water bottle that I’d bought from Bradleys on the way up.

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"I thought I was going to suffocate so I tipped the water over me.

"I told myself ‘what am I going to do now?’ so I found a mobile phone, dialled 999 and in fairness to them the paramedics were there with me within seconds.

"At that stage I could hardly talk and could hardly walk. They took me to Stoke and the treatment I had there was tremendous."

Concert tickets cost £15 and are available from St John's Church members; The Aleppo Merchant Inn, Carno; Seasons Cafe, Caersws; Jo's at The Lion cafe, Llandinam; Vera Ashton, Trefeglwys; Arthurs, Trefeglwys; Staylittle Stores; Elinor Jones, Llanbrynmair; Nia Newman, Carno and Bernard Evans on 01686 688813.

Bernard would like the following people and businesses for making donations: Seasons Cafe, Caersws; Gellidywyll Caravan Park; JK Morgan, Llanidloes; Meadow Springs, Country Leisure Park, Trefeglwys; Bradley Peugeot, Llanidloes; Staylittle Stores; Geoff Hamer; Emma's Hair Studio, Llanidloes; Evans Fish Bar, Llanidloes; Andrew and Paul at Newtown Tyres; The Aleppo Merchant Inn, Carno; and Williams Family Butchers, Llanidloes.