A PORTLAND couple hope a music festival this weekend will help raise awareness of a disease which rules their lives.

The three-day Lupus Fest kicks off in Weymouth tonight with musicians giving their time for free for a good cause.

Lupus Fest is the idea of Stewart and Carol Osborne who started it as a one-off fun event at their wedding reception in 2007 to raise money for charity instead of asking guests for presents.

It has grown over the years with musicians queuing up to play and helping to raise awareness of System Lupus Erythematosus, or Lupus, with money split between the St Thomas Lupus Trust and the Hughes Syndrome Foundation.

The organisations support sufferers of the auto-immune disease and blood-clotting disorder which Carol was diagnosed with after suffering a stroke in 2006. Her condition has complicated as the disease has developed.

Stewart and Carol, who are both 48 and originally from Reading, are big music fans and love attending live events when Carol feels able.

Chartered accountant Stewart used to sing in bands. In his younger days he contributed to a punk music fanzine and some of his works are currently being displayed at the New York Art Book Fair.

Carol said: “We love going to gigs but it’s dependant on how I’m feeling. The condition rules our lives and we never know from one day to the next how it will affect me.”

The festival is taking place at the Kings Club, in King Street.

As well as music there’s an auction tomorrow night including paintings by Trevor Lawrence, Martin Leighton, Semi Vine and Paul Liggins. Prizes also include afternoon tea and a meal for two at The Dining Room Restaurant in Weymouth donated by top chef Taher Jibet. There will also be a raffle each night.

What is Lupus?

Lupus is an incurable immune system illness mainly affecting women.

The main trigger of lupus is hormonal activity and change.

It can affect any part of the body, produce many symptoms making it hard to recognise and can cause irreversible damage to major organs.

Around 50,000 people are thought to have lupus in the UK.

The two major symptoms to look out for are muscle pain and extreme tiredness.

The name lupus comes from the Latin word meaning wolf. Lupus vulgaris is the name for a facial rash.

Lupus UK is the only national registered charity supporting people with systemic lupus and discoid lupus.

Visit lupusuk.org.uk