Member Article

Albrighton’s Party in the Yard set to hit the high notes with £20k charity dream

Albrighton’s largest music festival is back with a bang and promising to take its charity fundraising efforts past the £20,000 mark.

Party in the Yard, which is hosted by Next Door Bar, returns to the Shropshire village this year on Saturday September 15th and is promising an 8-hour musical extravaganza that will meet everyone’s tastes.

The event was created by Pete Gwilt, Sally Hall, Tom Gwilt, Michelle Smith and musician Tony Williams in 2012 and is designed to raise much-needed funds for Promise Dreams, a nationally registered charity dedicated to helping seriously and terminally ill children turn a special dream into reality.

Seven bands from the West Midlands have already signed up to entertain an expected crowd of over 475 people, with headliners Dirty DC agreeing to play for the first time.

“Everyone loves live music, so we thought we’d bring together some of the best local talent in one place to raise money for a fantastic cause,” explained Pete, who owns Next Door Bar.

“This is the fourth time we have put this on and each time it has got bigger and better, with even more live acts signed up and lots of activities for families, including face painting and a bouncy castle.”

He continued: “We’ve set ourselves the target to raise £7,000 in one day, which will see us smash our fundraising target of £20,000 since we started. This goes into helping seriously/terminally ill children get access to crucial home improvements and mobility aids that help increase their quality of life.

“Ticket sales are going really well and we expect to post the ‘sold out’ signs in early September, which means 499 people will be there, all ready to party and enjoy the live music.”

Next Door Bar, which provides real ale, continental lagers, gins and a high quality bistro menu, is located in the heart of Albrighton and has become a focal point for community parties and activities.

Whilst ‘Party in the Yard’ has been the flagship event, staff and customers have also come together to take part in a series of challenges, including the 10-mile ‘Walk for Dreams’ and the epic 42-mile ‘Cross Wales’ walk that they all completed in one day.

Organiser Tony Williams picked up the story: “I’m in charge of organising the music and this is the best line-up we’ve ever put together, with rock and roll, jazz, funk, folk, 80s, modern covers and one of the best AC/DC tribute acts in the business.

“The full line-up of bands includes The Other Guys, Shalane & Rock N Roll Pete, Fruit Machine, Tap The Keg, my own group the AWR Project and everyone’s local favourites…The Dirty Rockin Scoundrels.

“Everyone appreciates the crucial work Promise Dreams carries out and this creates a tremendous party atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.”

Dan Smith, Corporate Relationship Manager at Promise Dreams, added his support: “We love ‘Party in the Yard’ as it’s a real community event, with lots of people giving their time for free and, genuinely, just having a great time.

“The fact it is on course to smash £20,000 for our charity is another reason to celebrate and the difference this money will make to children and their families cannot be underestimated.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .