Before the pandemic, we had already chosen Willen Hospice to be our next Charity of the Year. Apart from being an amazing local charity, we had a particular reason for wanting to help them raise funds.
Alison Cockroft had been a member of the Band since 2006. She initially joined as a clarinettist, but very quickly migrated to tenor saxophone where she became a mainstay not only of her section but also of the Band. As Band secretary she had an ear to the ground to find out about any events that might be looking for music, and she rarely missed a gig. She was totally committed to the Band and, although small in stature, was always larger than life.
In 2012 Ali took part in the Band’s inaugural trip to Cours La Ville, and along with two fellow saxophonists decided to shun the comfort of the Band’s bus and make the 1400-mile return journey on motor bikes. Sadly, it was on returning from that trip that Ali was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent radiotherapy which appeared to be successful, and had been cancer-free for nearly 5 years when the evil disease once more reared its ugly head.
This time Ali battled with several courses of chemotherapy, but despite everything she kept smiling and was able to have a laugh. In September 2019 the Band had a trip to the seaside to play on the bandstand in Brighton. Ali was there and as usual the life and soul of the party. But shortly after that the cancer and chemotherapy took their toll and in December Ali was admitted to Willen Hospice. There she received the best possible care with her friends and family able to visit and spend time with her. Ali passed away on 22nd December 2019, and we all miss her.
We are delighted to make Willen Hospice our Charity of the Year 2021. We hope to raise a lot of money to help this fantastic charity that worked tirelessly to relieve the suffering of Ali, her family and her friends at a very difficult time.
