Charity events for unwell children

The annual Siobhanathon charity event took place at the weekend (Friday and Saturday, August 5 and 6) and raised £1,600 for three sick youngsters.

Star Wars fan Harrison Clifton, five, of Biggleswade, who has leukaemia will be bought an Interactive R2-D2 toy with some of the proceeds.

Evie Taylor, two, who has spina bifida, a spinal disorder and Thomas McCarthy, five, who has autoimmune disease juvenile dermatomyositis will also be bought treats.

The event took place at Glebe Farm in Sharnbrook and included live music, motorcycle displays and other stalls and attractions.

Juke Tyler, who runs the Black Line Fever tattoo parlour in Biggleswade High Street, started the Siobhanathon five years ago.

It was originally held in aid of the late Siobhan Shearer, a young girl who for the last two years of her life suffered from a form of cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma.

A hotel landlord and landlady are also staging a charity music festival and are looking for bands who would like to take part. Beckie Philpott and her partner Matthew Lyttle will be putting on the event at The White Hart Hotel in Shefford on Saturday, September 17. The festival at the North Bridge Street venue will start at 2pm and go on until 10pm, and will take place in the hotel garden. Proceeds from the event will be split between Handstand – the Appeal for Marshall Janson and the Siobanathon. Marshall Janson is a relative of Beckie who was rushed to hospital on his first birthday in December 2008 following an attack of meningococcal meningitis, a particularly vicious strain of the disease. Although he escaped brain damage he had to have both of his hands and legs amputated and faces a lifetime of rehabilitation while he gets used to using prosthetic limbs.

The rest of the money raised will go to the Siobanathon. As well as the live music there will also be hot food, a bouncy castle and other attractions.

Admission is £5 for adults and is free for under 14s. For more details contact 01462 811144.