Music lovers praised for “unbelievable generosity” at Rotherham Day event

A Motown night held as part of the recent Rotherham Day hit all the right notes after raising £4,270 for Rotherham Hospice and Barnardo's.

Organiser Carl Luckock, well known locally as a former director of Rotherham United, organised the night at Wickersley Social Club as the final event of first-ever Rotherham Day which took place on September 18 as a town-wide celebration of community pride and local heritage.

(L-R) Jamie Mitchell from Rotherham Hospice, Abbie Parkin from Wickerlsey Club, Dawn and Carl Lucock, Paws to Hooves' Diane Blackham and Debbie Houghton from Barnardo's | Supplied

placeholder image — (L-R) Jamie Mitchell from Rotherham Hospice, Abbie Parkin from Wickerlsey Club, Dawn and Carl Lucock, Paws to Hooves' Diane Blackham and Debbie Houghton from Barnardo's | Supplied

It was the third fundraising Motown evening organised by Carl and his wife Dawn and the total raised from the event at the club on on Morthern Road has left the pair delighted.

Carl said: “We really were overwhelmed by people's generosity in the run-up the event and on the night.

“Diane Blackham who runs Paws to Hooves pet food and animal feeds store donated £500 after holding a pet photo shoot in her shop in Wickersley and we had the same amount from Perry's at Parkgate who also sponsored the fundraising Motown Night.

“It was a great event and everybody had a wonderful time. Big thanks go to DJs Ron Stanley and Shaun Hollingsworth for all of the tunes.

“Guests at the event were so unbelievably generous - we were going round with bucket collections and this year had a card payment machine, too.

“One gentleman paid £500 on his card and we were blown away by that.

“You just don't know people's stories though – it may be that he had a relative cared for by Rotherham Hospice or maybe he had been helped in the past by Barnardo's.

“People's connections can be very personal but one thing we do know is it just goes to show well thought of and loved these two charities are right here in Rotherham.”

Rotherham Day, founded by Scott Thorpe CEO of TMG Mortgage Network and Millers legend John Breckin, is a borough-wide initiative under one shared message: 'Wear Red, Raise Money, Back Local' which saw schools, businesses and charities host fundraising activities, walks, afternoon teas, sports sessions, poetry and local and historical tours.

The final fundraising figure, for charities chosen by people across the borough, was announced at a Post Rotherham Day Celebration Event at the Empire earlier this month as £105,000.

Plans are now underway for another event next year with Scott Thorpe telling guests at the Empire Theatre: “If that's what we can raise for countless charities in Rotherham in one day – imagine what we can do next year when we are looking at a two-day event which will be bigger and better than ever.”