St Clears jazz concert raises over £3,500 for Parkinson’s UK Cymru

A jazz concert held at Griffith Jones School on Saturday 28 October has raised over £3,500 for charity Parkinson’s UK Cymru.

Organised by James Hancock-Evans, 33, from St Clears, the concert saw solo singers and jazz band, the ‘St Clears Swingers’, take to the stage and perform in front of 180 people. The money was raised through ticket sales, a raffle, and donations from local businesses.

James was inspired to organise the event and raise money for Parkinson’s UK because his uncle was diagnosed with Parkinson’s six years ago.

Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, and currently there is no cure. It affects around 153,000 people in the UK and every hour two more people are diagnosed. There are over 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety.

Parkinson’s UK is the largest charitable funder of Parkinson’s research in Europe, leading the way to better treatments and a cure.

He said:

“I’ve seen first-hand the impact that Parkinson’s has on my uncle, so I wanted to fundraise for Parkinson’s UK to help them find a cure for this horrible condition.”

Keri McKie, Wales Community Fundraiser at Parkinson’s UK Cymru, said:

“We are so grateful to James for organising this event for Parkinson’s UK Cymru.

“With more than 40 potential symptoms, Parkinson’s can devastate lives. We’ve made huge breakthroughs in the last 50 years, but there is still no cure and current treatments are not good enough.

“We hope that James’ fundraising inspires you to get involved with Parkinson’s UK. There are lots of ways for you to get involved and support us – from volunteering at an event, to campaigning for better services. Without the generosity of people like you, our work would not be possible.”