Music festival for brave mum Joy

The Charmina Festival has been organised by the Reece family as a tribute to mum Joy, who was diagnosed with the return and spread of a previous breast cancer in July 2016.

She will be the star guest at the event at the family home near Clive on July 22 that will feature local bands and musicians including The Texels, Nibbs and Eddy, Two Faced Tom and the Bootleg Boys, Andy O’Brien, and Jurango.

All the profits will be shared among local cancer charities including the oncology ward at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, which is currently treating Joy.

Joy’s son Harry is organising the event. He is a director of Shrewsbury’s Base Architecture, which is sponsoring the event, and other local companies have lent their support to the venture.

Shire Bars will be donating a large portion of takings to the cause. The Shingler Group is supplying a specially constructed DJ stage and ‘chill out’ booth.

Marketing firm Promofix has supplied the entry wristbands and logistics company Grocontinental is providing a trailer for the main stage. Further generous donations have been received from Savills as well as Mike Roberts Electrical, alongside private donations.

Harry, who is also juggling his day job and charity event with that of being a dad to his newborn son Ted, said: “We talked about organising a fundraising event when Mum was first told she had cancer 10 years ago but it never happened.

“Following her recent diagnosis it seemed fitting we saw it through to make some memories and celebrate what a special person she is, as well as raise funds to treat and prevent such a horrible disease.

“There are so many organisations that do good work supporting people in Shropshire who are living with cancer that we decided to make it a public event to raise as much money as we could.”

Harry added: “We have received amazing support from local businesses and we are very grateful for that. It will allow us to donate as much money as we can to cancer charities and the hospital.”

Joy, 57, said she was looking forward to the festival very much.

She said: “I am amazed at the work that has gone into organising Charmina Fest and it’s going to be a great day. I’m really looking forward to it.

“I want to thank everyone who has bought a ticket and all the businesses that are supporting us.”

To buy tickets, go to www.charmina.co.uk/tickets. They can be purchased for a minimum donation of £20.