Popular charity music festival set to return

The Party in the Yard, which is hosted behind Next Door Bar on Station Road, has brought together some of the best local musical talent for an eight-hour festival in the Shropshire village.

About 400 tickets have already been sold, with just 100 remaining for the event that will be held on Saturday, September 17.

Van Life will open the extravaganza and will be joined on stage by JT Soul, Rich Evans, the Dirty Rockin Scoundrels, and headliners Fruit Machine, whilst children can enjoy the fun with face painting and a bouncy castle.

This is the fifth time Party in the Yard has been held and this year will support orphans from the Ukrainian city of Dnipro and Scotty’s Little Soldiers.

The latter is a charity dedicated to supporting bereaved British Forces children and young people and is inspired by the experience of Army widow Nikki Scott, with the Smiles, Support, Strides and Springboard programmes in place to deliver respite from the grief, emotional and mental health support and education and development.

Sally Hall, owner of the Next Door Bar and one of the driving forces behind the event, said: “These are two charities very close to our heart and we are expecting to raise more than £5000, taking us over £25,000 since we first came up with the idea.

“This really is Albrighton at its best. Everyone comes together to enjoy eight hours of great music and great food and drink, with all the musicians and local businesses, like Tracey’s Cup Cakes, delivering their time and products for free.

“We’ve decided to raise money for two charities this year for the first time.

“Everyone has been deeply affected by the invasion of Ukraine and we wanted to give something back, with at least £1,000 going towards a Scottish organisation supporting orphans from the city of Dnipro.

“Then we have Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity very close to our heart. My partner Pete Gwilt knows one of the main fundraisers Dominic personally and we wanted to add our own support to a fantastic cause that makes such a difference to children and young people.”

Tony Williams, a member of JT Soul and one of the organising committee, added: “The music is really varied too, so there’s something for everyone. You’ve got the acoustic and eccentric talent of Rich Evans, soul classics from the JT Project and rock and roll from the hugely popular Dirty Rockin Scoundrels. We’ve even got Fruit Machine to bring the festival to a jaw-dropping close."

To buy some of the last remaining tickets, message Next Door Bar on Facebook.