KEMP Hospice in Kidderminster is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a whole host of events including a parachute jump, midnight walk, masquerade ball, and the hospice’s first ever music festival.
The hospice was formed by a small community volunteer group after a prayer meeting in 1969. Five decades on they continue to support the people of the Worcestershire district of the Wyre Forest with a day hospice offering different therapies, creative classes, and bereavement support for both adults and children.
To commemorate its golden anniversary, the charity is planning events to take place in June, August and September to help them raise funds.
Among them are three KEMP BIG 50 Jumps – the first took place in April, with two others set to happen on June 9 and September 22. Taking part in the September event will be Gordon Maycroft, who will celebrate his 90th birthday ahead of the event.
Shelley Stanley, events manager at KEMP Hospice, says she has been blown away by the support the jump has received, and hopes Gordon will inspire others to sign up. “Gordon is an absolute legend – he told me that he wanted to do something special to mark his big birthday and our golden anniversary too. For someone of 90 years of age to want to take up this challenge is fantastic.
On June 14 the hospice’s Midnight Memories Walk takes place, but this year men are invited to join women participants for the very first time. The event will bring people together for a 5km moonlit walk through the Wyre Forest, walking in memory of loved ones who have died. There will also be a forest disco and live music provided by singer Zoe Alexander, a Pink tribute act who shot to fame after appearing on X-Factor in 2012.
KEMP’s first every music festival will take place on August 18. KEMPfest, an all-day family-friendly event, will see local bands and singers joining the same stage as famous acts including Max George, the former lead singer from indie band The Wanted, eighties all-girl pop-rock group Fuzzbox, and noughties garage duo Sweet Female Attitude.
Shelley said she was thrilled with the line-up: “The Wanted were one of the biggest boybands of the noughties and 2010s and produced massive hits like the global number 1 ‘Glad You Came’, ‘Chasing The Sun’ and ‘All Time Low’. Max has told me he is going to be performing all of these hits at KEMPfest with his live band, as well as his first solo single ‘Barcelona’ which has been streamed over four million times on Spotify plus his brand new song ‘Better On Me’ which is amazing.
Shelley added that the roster would continue to grow with more local acts to be added and plenty of on-stage special guests: “We’ve already announced Fuzzbox are going to perform some of their biggest hits and we have Sweet Female Attitude joining us too who had one of the biggest selling songs of the year 2000. ‘Flowers’ was a huge hit and it’s become a cult hit again after being covered this year by Bastille and James Arthur.”
Finally, KEMP will be hosting the KEMP Golden Butterfly Ball, a masquerade ball on September 27. The theme for the evening is ‘Black & Gold’ and will feature two live bands, a silent auction and a three-course lavish dinner and champagne after-party.
For more information visit KEMP Hospice
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