Chesterfield musicians to embark on road trip in memory of their son who died aged 17

Retired musicians Rose, 70, and John Cowperthwaite, who is 80, begin their UK-wide tour with a performance at Matlock Hall Leys Park on Thursday, September 1.

Named ‘On The Road Again’, the trip will then see the muscial duo head to Twin Oaks car boot sale in Palterton and five other locations in and around Derbyshire before they head further afield.

Rose and John are embarking on tour in memory of their son Toby who passed away cancer aged just 17 and aim to eventually raise £150,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust, a cause so close to their hearts.

A fundraising page launched by the couple read: “We are retired musicians off on a tour around the UK coast raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of our son Toby who died from Hodgkins Lymphoma at the age of 17 after nearly four years of gruelling treatment. Never complaining, always smiling and planning for the future.

“We shall be forever grateful for the care and support he (and we) received on his tragic roller coaster journey.

“It is 10 years now since we lost Toby and we finally feel able to give something back.

"I am 80 years old and partially sighted, Rose is 70 with back problems and will have to do all the driving. We might be falling to bits but we can still sing and with over 30 years experience in the music business, (I am a singer songwriter) have loads of enthusiasm and are finally free from commitments and feel it is now or never.

“Our plan is to do what we do best using our God given talents and offer an hour of live music on our travels, in return for donations to the trust.

“We have all our own wireless gear, guitar/keyboard/amp/mics (no power necessary) and will go anywhere from private residences/BBQs to pubs, clubs, cafes – inside or out.

"Our first target is £5,000 but our ultimate target is £150,000 and we shall keep going until we achieve it!”

Every day, seven young people in the UK between the ages of 13 and 24 hear the devastating words ‘you have cancer’ and their lives are turned upside down.

Teenage Cancer Trust helps fund specialised nurses, youth workers and hospital units in the NHS, so they have dedicated staff and facilities to support them throughout treatment.

Heather Bowen, senior relationship manager for the North West and Yorkshire, at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “We are incredibly thankful for the support and kindness from Toby’s mum and dad.

"This UK wide road trip will be gruelling and emotional for John and Rose so we hope that local pubs, clubs, music venues and communities will rise to the challenge by giving them a spot to perform and raise funds and awareness for Teenage Cancer Trust.”

To support John and Rose on their fundraising tour and to keep up-to-date on their journey visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/john-cowperthwaite.

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