Rokefest music fest raises more than a record breaking £17k

Rokefest is a three-day music festival hosted annually at the Home Sweet Home pub in Roke, near Benson.

The event has been running for 15 years but was cancelled for the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Organisers were ‘thrilled’ that the event could take place earlier this year and that it raised £17,769 for charity for the Julian Starmer-Smith Lymphoma Fund, which is part of Oxford Hospitals Charity.

Jo Chapman, one of the organisers, said: “We select a different worthy cause every year for Rokefest and this year decided to raise funds in memory of one of our dearly beloved locals, Ashley Jones.

Ashley Jones (Image: Rokefest)

“Ashley was a real character who sadly passed away, far too young, after his second battle with lymphoma.

“We really wanted to do Ashley and his family proud, so we are utterly thrilled to have raised this record-breaking amount at what really was one of the best Rokefests ever.

“One of the things that made the event so special this year – alongside all the brilliant music, beer and food, was the way Ashley’s family got involved – especially his son, Zac, who had his head shaved live on stage, raising thousands towards the final total.”  

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Mr Jones’s wife, Sam, said: “I am incredibly touched that the local community remembered Ashley in this special way, and raised this incredible amount that will directly benefit the medical team at the Churchill Hospital who cared for him over many years.

“Ashley was brave, kind and funny, a very genuine human being who loved to entertain and was always the life and soul of the party.

“He was born in Oxford, rowed for Britain and had a successful career in the motoring and leasing trade. Life was never dull with him, he would make everyone laugh constantly with his cheeky humour and a twinkle in his eye.

Zac's headshave (Image: Rokefest)

“He loved Rokefest so it means an incredible amount that the community came out to have fun and to remember him, and that they have raised this incredible amount.”

The Julian Starmer-Smith Lymphoma Fund supports important research taking place in Oxford into lymphoma cancers, which are the fifth commonest type of cancers in the UK.

Sarah Vaccari, head of communications at Oxford Hospitals Charity, said: “As a local myself it was exciting to see everyone back at Rokefest this year enjoying the fabulous weekend of music in the most beautiful of settings.

“We are so pleased it was such an incredible success and has raised so much to support the important research done by our Julian Starmer-Smith Lymphoma Fund.”

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To find out more about the work Oxford Hospitals Charity and the Julian Starmer-Smith Lymphoma Fund do visit hospitalcharity.co.uk

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Read more from this author

This story was written by Gee Harland. She joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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