Soulshine brings Melton together and raises £1,021 for Dementia UK
“Knowing that the money we’ve raised could help provide such valuable support to families affected by dementia makes it all the more worthwhile”
Music lovers travelled from across the country to Melton Mowbray for Soulshine All-Dayer, a charity music event that raised £1,021 for Dementia UK.
Visitors came from as far afield as Bournemouth, Manchester, Gloucester and Shropshire, alongside Nottingham, Kibworth, Leicester and Melton itself, highlighting the appeal of bringing quality live music and DJs to the town.
Organised by local events company McCue The Music, Soulshine All-Dayer took place at The Harboro Hotel on Saturday 12th September, following three summer music events at Play Close Park.
The event featured internationally respected producer Sean McCabe, award-winning vocalist Natasha Watts and a line-up of DJs from across the UK, bringing a celebration of soul, funk and house music to Melton Mowbray.
From the outset, organisers Andrea McCue and Steve Reed wanted Soulshine to be about more than just music, creating an opportunity for people to come together while raising money for a charity supporting families affected by dementia.
The final fundraising total of £1,021 has now been confirmed by Dementia UK, which has also sent the organisers a letter of thanks and a certificate recognising their achievement.
To put the amount into perspective, Dementia UK explained that £929 could fund an Admiral Nurse to answer calls from families on its specialist Dementia Helpline for an entire week, demonstrating the real difference the money raised could make.
The event benefited from fantastic support from gin partner Multum Gin Parvo, alongside advertising support from local businesses Avantgarde Living and 360 Fitness Health and Wellbeing. The Harboro Hotel also played an important part by providing the room for the event and generously donating £100 towards the fundraising total.
A charity raffle also contributed to the fundraising, with generous prizes donated by DropWorks Rum, Hidden Food Tours, Digital Deadline, Belvoir Farm, Belvoir Castle, Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe, Pearces Jewellery, Bellini Italian Restaurant, Derek Jones Family Butcher and Kathryn Saunby.
One particularly special raffle prize came from vocalist Natasha Watts, who generously donated a long weekend at her holiday cottage in Wales.
Andrea McCue said: “When we first started planning Soulshine, we wanted to create something special for Melton. Somewhere people could come together, enjoy great music, make memories and support a really worthwhile cause.
“Seeing people travel from so many different places to spend the day in Melton was fantastic. It shows the potential for events like Soulshine to attract visitors to the town, as well as bringing our local community together.
“Knowing that the money we’ve raised could help provide such valuable support to families affected by dementia makes it all the more worthwhile.
“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who supported us, from the artists and DJs who helped create such a fantastic atmosphere to the businesses and individuals who contributed so generously. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
For McCue The Music, Soulshine represents another step towards developing a programme of music and entertainment in Melton Mowbray.
Andrea added: “We’ve always believed that music has the power to bring people together, and we’d love to continue creating events that give people something to look forward to while supporting our local community and businesses.
“Soulshine has shown us what’s possible when people come together, and we’re looking forward to building on that experience.”
McCue The Music is now exploring opportunities for future events and collaborations with local venues, businesses and performers.
For more information, visit www.mccuethemusic.co.uk.