By Peter Barnett
The generosity and support of Thanet music fans has been praised after the RockthePav6 festival raised more than £1,300 for charity in one afternoon.
Speaking from the stage at the Pavilion in Harbour Street, Broadstairs, at the end of a triumphant event, organisers told the packed hall: “We are overwhelmed at your support and kindness. It means so much to us and will once again hugely benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund (PCRF).”
It means the music team has raised more than £11,500 for cancer charities in the RockthePav series and at a special charity night at Ramsgate Music Hall – nearly £9,000 for PCRF alone.
Yasmin Bailey from Ramsgate, who heads the Thanet fundraising for PCRF, said: “’Once again I have been both touched and amazed at people’s amazing generosity and support especially during these challenging times.
“We always say to everyone who supports PCRF, regardless of in whatever way, they can feel proud to think they are a driving force in moving the research forward in the hope of a better future for pancreatic cancer patients.
“My sincere thanks to everyone who made this wonderful event possible.”
Four bands performed for free to provide a great mix of blues, rock, soul and pop to warm the crowd on bitterly chilly late Spring day.
First class performances came from Starfire98, Cor Alley, Lodestone and Free Lunch in the five hour marathon.
Another popular feature was a sales table offering good quality equipment at bargain prices, while the auction of an electric guitar raised a further £130.
Among the crowd were Thanet musicians, singers, event promoters and music supporters.
RockthePav organisers said: “There is real camaraderie in our community among the bands who featured on the day, the sound crew, and those players and music fans who came along to cheer us on.
“Big thanks go to our organising team of Andy Burring, Pete Barnett and Bob Haynes, all the musicians, Griff Rising and the sound crew from DB Rising Audio Engineering and Acoustics, Frank Harvey our master of ceremonies, the Pavilion venue owners Thorley Taverns and their staff, Ben Hunt for designing our brilliant posters, and our musician friends who loaned us their backline stage sound gear.
“We are also indebted to our local media – The Isle of Thanet News and Academy FM – for their help in promoting the event in online news, on social media and on air; and to the RSK Group, a leading integrated environmental, engineering and technical services business, for event sponsorship.
“Months of commitment, dedication and enthusiasm by many people has once again helped us put on a very special event that we rank as one of our very best.”
Launched in 2018, the RockthePav idea was to raise fund and increase awareness of pancreatic cancer – acclaimed musician Phil Hunt from Broadstairs was the co-founder of the event with drummer Andy Burring. Phil performed at the first two annual showcases before losing his courageous battle with the illness in 2019.
Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund
To find out more about the work and research that PCRF undertake, go online to www.pcrf.org.uk. Locally contact Yasmin Bailey at [email protected] or phone 01843 491695.
