Day of busking and cricket to raise money for Dudley hospital
The latest in a line of charity events which have so far raised over £12,000 for a Dudley hospital this year will take place next week.
The next Busking for Charity day - the brainchild of Billy Spakemon, Chris Homer and Tim Martin, better known as the Buskateers - will take place on Saturday, September 17 at Romsley and Hunnington Cricket Club in Halesowen.
A cricket match between Romsley and Hunnington Cricket Club and Halesowen Cricket Club will start at 10.30am, before musical proceedings kick off at 2pm and finish at 10pm.
Organiser Billy Spakemon has been busking for many years, using his talent to raise money to support multiple services across the Dudley Group.
Billy said: "The event is really something the cricket club has embraced. They've given us the run of the place. We're really been overwhelmed with people coming up with venues for us.
"It's amazing really - it's brought a community of performing artists together and a community of local people who've come on board."
Each year, Busking for Charity raises money for a different unit at Russells Hall Hospital - raising £6,500 for the hospital's Diabetes Services in 2020 and £8,000 for Cancer Services in 2021.
This year, the funds will go to the hospital's Children's and Neonatal services, and their fundraising has already broken their previous record.
Billy added: "We've been doing Busking for Charity for around ten years, and supporting Russells Hall for five.
"Each year we talk to the hospital and choose a department, after finding out what they're struggling to get - such as equipment or refurbishments.
"This year we're supporting the Children's and Neonatal services and we've just passed £12,000, which is the most we've ever raised in a year and we've still got four months to go.
"The department wants to do very special training with premature dolls for nurses, which can be computerised so the doll stops breathing, for example, and the training nurses can practice what to do.
"They're very expensive and our funds could buy three of those dolls so far."
Busking for Charity at Romsley and Hunnington Cricket Club is a free event and everyone is welcome.
For more information, contact the club on 0121 408 2326.
