A small fundraising event

[peterallison]

On Saturday 7th December 2019, I have organised a concert of "Pipe Organ Music" at St. Denys parish church, here in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The aim is to raise much needed money for Ataxia UK and the Masonic Charitable Foundation (they have both helped me this past couple of years)

I know organ music may not appeal to the majority, but its my one great passion, and is the thing that my late father and I had in common. It will be a year and 4 days since he passed, so I thought it would be a nice way of commemorating him AND raising both awareness and funds for 2 great charities. The MCF raise and give millions each year to worthy causes, eg, Air Ambulance

I have a lengthy, kind of press release, but it need tweaking, so will welcome any advice as what to put in it

[Veteran250]

Thank you Peter, too far for me to attend, are you perhaps having a DVD made of the event! 😀👏👏👏!

[peterallison in reply to Veteran250]

I will just be making a recording more than likely, as thats another main hobby of mine, it will be as professional as possible

[wobblybee]

🙂 If you have a ‘message’ that can be copied, I’ll post it on other Ataxia Support Groups. It could reach other Ataxians in your area 🙂 Best wishes 🙂

[peterallison in reply to wobblybee]

I will copy and paste what In have, edit it at your discretion please...

"Whats it all about then?

Well its kind of 2 fold, firstly, its to try and raise money for the national Masonic Charitable Foundation and a “specialist” little known health charity that goes by the name of

Ataxia UK. And also a memorial to my late father, Derrick Allison (1931 – 2018)

Myself and my late father, shared a common interest in “pipe organs”, for very many years,.and he had an idea back in 2008, to raise much needed funds for various Masonic Charities, as he was a beneficiary of “help” from the Masonic Charity, the MCF (Masonic Charitable Foundation) as I am too. To these ends, he personally hired the prestigious Durham Cathedral, 5 times, and 2 other ( local to Durham) churches when the Cathedral became too expensive to hire. They were well supported events, and not just for lovers of “organ music”, but for those people who want to help out financially.

I lived ,until a few months ago, in the town of Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, and moved down to the Sleaford area of Lincolnshire with my partner, Jill, where I joined a local Masonic Lodge, and was thinking one day, “how can I do something” now I am retired on health grounds with the condition known as ATAXIA,

I had a “light bulb” moment, and decided to follow in my fathers footsteps and help through my own love of the genre and help from my own Lodge of St Botolphs here in Sleaford.

The MCF have helped me financially this past couple of years, so I want to try and give something back.

The evenings music will be played by the Director of Music of Grimsby Minster,

Mr. Steven Maxson, a very very good organist/pianist/musician, who has played all over the UK and overseas. The programme will be a“light and popular one”, so will suit those who have not heard much, if any, organ music before. And as a tribute to my late father, I have asked Steven to play his 2 favourite pieces, one of which was played at his funeral in Durham Cathedral in 2018 (a rousing toe tapper, usually played at weddings)

I just want to thank my partner in all this, for putting up with my decision, and helping with the proof reading of various items to do with this concert.

The Masonic Lodge of St Botolophs (number 588)

And the Parish Office of St Denys

And of course, Steven Maxson for agreeing to play for us