25 Aug 2023 Community

Rob Thewlis and The Kirkwood Festival 2023

Rob Thewlis is a long standing supporter of The Kirkwood and has raised many thousands of pounds for this charity over the years. Rob is once again doing his bit for us by organising his The Kirkwood Festival event on Saturday 26th August. 

Last year Rob put on the event at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield and raised over £1,600 for us which was a fantastic effort. The event had many bands on for live entertainment and stalls to make it a really fun packed family day out. 

Rob has gone for a similar vibe this year, again being staged at the theatre as summer comes to a close he wants to put on one last party before the long nights of Autumn and winter set in. 

This year the event will include some superb local artists with Boxteles being the headline act at 7:45pm. There is a plethora of acts and entertainment throughout the day with the Ukrainian British Friendship Group kicking things off at 12pm. 

Check out the poster here for more details. 

Rob has a special connection to us stretching all the way back to 2009 when he first took part in The Kirkwood Memory Walk. We then cared for his mother in 2016 and so Rob has become a special person in our movement. 

On that connection to The Kirkwood he said: “I started fundraising for The Kirkwood in 2010 with my first memory walk. I decided to walk in memory of my sister, Katie, who passed away in 2009. I loved the experience so much that I returned the year after and every year since.

“For me, it’s not just about the event. It’s the community feel, the warmth and loving feeling you get when greeted. I’ve now taken part in 10 walk's and two Colour Rush events and now of course I have set up and organised The Kirkwood Live. The Kirkwood has such a big place in the hearts of everyone.

“As a family, we accessed The Kirkwood’s services in April 2016. My mum spent a week on the In-Patient Unit before her passing. I’ve always had a soft spot for the hospice, but you don’t really get a true feeling until you’ve been through those doors.

“The care my mum received was amazing. The care we received was amazing. They made my mum look so at peace and comfortable, it just made everything so much easier to cope with.”