Summer musical festival raises money for meningitis charity

A summer festival organised by Cambridgeshire musicians raised £3,000 for charity.

The sixth Hendstock event, on July 22 in Linton, near Cambridge, attracted more than 300 people and was organised to support the Meningitis Now charity.

The event, organised by Hayley and David Donnan, started out as a one-off garden party with friends and family attending and performing has grown and is now an annual musical event.

Hendstock is named after the couple’s friend, Ian Hendry, who died aged 43 after developing complications following meningitis.

“Ian was our best friend and best man at our wedding,” said David.

“We wanted to do something to ensure he was remembered. This year we collected more than £3,000 with the help of our fantastic sponsors,” David added.

“We started off six years ago just passing a bucket around, but now with the generosity of local businesses, it’s become a great fundraiser that supports Meningitis Now and gives everyone who comes a great time.

Acts ranged from a choir to a brass band to a full on rock covers band. They included The Ding Dong Belles; 3 Clowns; Copper and Zinc; Infinite Recall; T, Nat and Dave; Janine and Jamie; Jamie, Dave and Emma; The Mighty Choir of Revenge; Atomised; The Scarlet Ladies; Ted and The Accelerants, who closed the night with 90 minutes of high-energy rock.

“We hope to do even better next year,” said Hayley, who performs as part of female vocal group Ding Dong Belles and The Scarlet Ladies. “