David's Fundraising Is Top Brass!
After David Hills was given a new lease of life at the Wessex Cardiac Centre he decided to give something back to the charity which supports its vital work. As an aficionado of brass bands he has devoted as large percentage of his spare time organising concerts in aid of Wessex Heartbeat charity.
Now David has just celebrated the 10th anniversary of his fundraising, during which time he has donated nearly £50,000 to Wessex Heartbeat. To mark the auspicious 10-year milestone, world-renowned brass band, the Black Dyke Band played to a sell-out audience at The Pavilion Theatre in Bournemouth on June 7th.
This year's "Very Best of Brass" concert marked the famous band's fourth visit to Bournemouth. The band has toured many different countries including Canada and the USA, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Belgium, Spain, Sierra Leone and Australia. Over the years The Black Dyke Band has made more than 120 recordings and have enjoyed success with such artists as Paul McCartney and Wings, Tori Amos and Beautiful South. They also provide the background music for the BBC's popular series "Ground Force."
"It was an absolutely fabulous evening and as always the Black Dyke Band delighted the audience of more than 1,400 people," said David, who is secretary of the Wessex Brass Band Association.
It was back in 1997 that David, who lives at Highcliffe, Dorset had a mitral valve repair at the Wessex Cardiac Centre and while he was convalescing he had a heightened awareness of the work of the Wessex Heartbeat charity. What was initially planned as a one-off charity fundraiser soon became an eagerly anticipated annual event and over the years some of the UK's best brass bands have been brought to the south coast.
David, who is now retired from his training consultancy, is also responsible for organising the very successful Masterclasses with the Black Dyke Band at Highcliffe Comprehensive School, Bournemouth.
D'Arcy Myers, CEO of Wessex Heartbeat , was delighted to be invited to the evening and he said "It is always exciting meeting people with talent and the Black Dyke Band certainly have talent" He went on to say "There are some very special people in the world and some of them do amazing things to help others. David Hill is one of those people and I was honoured to spend the evening with him".
