THERE were three reasons for a concert held at Huddersfield Town Hall late last year.
First it honoured the memory of young wife, mother, daughter and musician Angharad Matthews who was just 29 when she died in 2006.
Second it helped to raise the profile of the disease which killed her. Angharad lost her life after a 10 year battle with the illness lupus. Her newborn baby, Flora, died hours after her mum.
Determined to mark a wonderful young life and to make more people aware of the illness with which Angharad battled for so long, her family and many friends in musical circles rallied round to do her proud.
And they did just that. Fund-raising efforts, culminating in the concert held in Huddersfield last October during Lupus Awareness Month, fulfilled the third reason behind the concert by bringing in a staggering total of £10,650.
Angharad’s family, her husband Ian, their young son Charlie and her parents Catherine and Len Williams have been overwhelmed by the support that they have had.
They used the music that they all shared to celebrate Angharad’s life and the practical outcome is that the money raised will be spent at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield to help set up a lupus unit.
Ian’s family are from Sheffield and so the bonds which connected them to this young family and to so many people in this area will continue through this fund-raising success.
Brian Winterbottom, of Honley Male Voice Choir, was one of a team of people who helped reach the fund-raising total which was achieved through the concert, through donations, sponsorship, and other events including a silent auction. Brian got involved because his wife, Denise used to sing alongside Angharad in Honley Ladies Choir.
Singer Jennifer Pulleyn and her husband, brass player Gary, knew Angharad through connections with the Sing Live Orchestra in which Gary plays. They both worked tirelessly to support the concert.
Many more supported the campaign, particularly on concert night itself.
Together they remembered a much loved and missed wife and mum and gave hope to others who suffer with the illness that claimed Angharad.
