Patients will benefit from April 1 tomfoolery
Caption: Committed To The Blues.
9 March 2011
A music and comedy party is being held at Colchester United's football stadium on 1 April to raise funds for the Stroke Unit at Colchester General Hospital.
Entertainment will be provided by Committed To The Blues, a Colchester-based professional Blues Brothers tribute band, and Colchester comedian Richard Whymark.
The event at the Weston Homes Community Stadium will be from 7.30pm to midnight on Friday 1 April. Tickets, which cost £25 each, include a two-course dinner.
It is being organised by the Colchester Hospital Charity (CoHoC), a registered charity that aims to make a real and positive difference to patient care at Colchester General Hospital and Essex County Hospital.
Caroline Bates, the hospitals' fundraising manager, said: "The money raised on the night will be used for the benefit of patients on the Stroke Unit at Colchester General Hospital.
"There are many items which staff there would like to buy to help patients, including specialist software for speech and language therapy, iPods and headphones for relaxation sessions and a laptop computer to be used by patients.
"In addition, they have plans to improve the environment and would also like to invest in additional equipment for moving and handling patients."
Mrs Bates thanked Colchester United FC for donating the venue free of charge. The club has chosen CoHoC as one of its four "Official Charity Partners" for the current season.
One of the guests on the night will be John Purkiss, aged 64, who will give a brief talk about his experiences on the Stroke Unit.
Mr Purkiss, a retired businessman, suffered a stroke on Valentine's Day 2008 while skiing in Canada and spent three weeks in hospital there followed by 14 weeks on the Stroke Unit at Colchester General Hospital.
"The staff there were fantastic and took care of my every need, and gave me every encouragement," he said. "The facilities, too, were excellent - I had a room to myself with an en suite shower and toilet."
Mr Purkiss, of Station Road, Wakes Colne, has made a good recovery and is now planning another skiing trip.
Committed To The Blues, consisting of Ritchie Hicks and Richard Alcock, has done much work to support local charities since it was established in 2003. Ritchie's great-grandmother suffered a stroke in 1996.
CoHoC, which has 14 different funds that encompass all areas of Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, spends money on improving the hospital environment, on new equipment and on additional staff training and education.
Its chairman is Sir John Ashworth, who is also a non-executive director of the Trust, which runs Colchester General Hospital and Essex County Hospital.
* Anyone wanting more information or wishing to buy tickets should contact Caroline Bates, Fundraising Manager, at Colchester General Hospital. Tel 01206 745282; email fundraising@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
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