British singer and songwriter Phil Collins has given a concert in Geneva to raise funds for a charity foundation to help aspiring young entertainers and athletes.

Collins, who lives near Geneva, set up the Little Dreams Foundation with his Swiss wife Orianne to provide financing and professional support for young people between the ages of four and 16 hoping to make a breakthrough in music, cinema or sport.

"A lot of people don't come from wealthy families," said Collins in an interview with World Radio Geneva, "and therefore that talent ends up being unheard. The idea is funding them so they can go to music college if they want to be a musician or get equipment if they want to be an athlete."

The concert in Geneva's Grand Casino was the foundation's first event. Before an audience which included sponsors from the worlds of sport and entertainment, Collins performed with Melody Perret, a Swiss teenager who is among the first to benefit from Little Dreams.

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