Huddersfield’s iconic music venue The Parish has set up a charitable fund with the One Community Foundation in memory of staff member Sam Wilcock.
The Parish, now based in the Old Courthouse in Queen Street, has been serving up live music in the town for the last 16 years.
In that time The Parish has supported charities and good causes, helping to raise vital funds for the local community.
Now the directors have chosen Mental Health Awareness Week to launch their latest initiative The Parish Charitable Fund in memory of Sam Wilcock who died in 2019.
Tom Simpson, from The Parish, said: “The fund has been set up with an initial donation of £5,000 which primarily came from a huge event named Wilstock held in honour of an amazing human, good friend and member of staff Sam Wilcock.
“Sam struggled with his mental health for years and sadly took his own life in 2019 which is why mental health support is high on the priorities of The Parish Charitable Fund.
“The directors have decided to set up a fund with the amazing One Community Foundation in order to roll all the charitableness of its customers and friends into one fund, set up with the aim of helping local charities and organisations who work within mental health support, cancer support and access to music.”
Charlotte Coy, a much-loved patron at The Parish, recently died after a long battle with cancer so the fund will support cancer charities too.
The fund will also help organisations which provide access to music for young people as The Parish appreciates the benefits music can have on young people’s mental and physical wellbeing.
Wilstock will be an annual event in honour of all those lost too soon and all profits will go to The Parish Charitable Fund. Donations can also be made to the fund via collection boxes and through the website www.parishpub.co.uk.
One Community Foundation CEO Emma Woods-Bolger said: “Tom and the directors have been great to work with and together we’ve been able to explore the causes that matter to them.
“Helping your community can be daunting. Often you don’t know where to start, who to help or how your donation is used.
“By working with us, local businesses like The Parish can take advantage of the experience of our expert grant making team and tap into their local knowledge of community projects.
“Ultimately, we make sure their donation has the greatest impact possible and tell them how every penny has been used.”
To find out more about the work of the One Community Foundation visit www.one-community.org.uk
