Rockfest in final encore for charity anniversary

PLYMOUTH says a final farewell to an Easter tradition this weekend as the last ever Rockfest is held tomorrow after raising more than £100,000 for St Luke's Hospice.

- CLARE ROBINSON and CLARE AINSWORTH

For the past 20 years, Easter weekend has meant only one thing to local rock fans. The rock extravaganza, organised by the inimitable Cuz Cussen, features a plethora of local bands who give their services for free in order to raise funds for St Luke's Hospice. Having reached and surpassed his fundraising target at an incredible £100,563 in 2019, Cuz was planning to call it a day.

But as this year is St Luke's 40th anniversary, he is given Rockfest a final encore at the Depo in Union Street this weekend. When Rockfest started it raised money for a variety of charities including the Teenage Cancer Trust, Cot Life Society, RNLI, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Meningitis Research, British Heart Foundation, and Macmillan Cancer Support. But since 2008 the funds were chanelled to St Luke's after Cuz's mum, Dot, was cared for at the hospice before she passed away.

Cuz said: “Mum was awesome and losing her was very hard, but St Luke's were amazing in every aspect of their care for her, as well as being there for me and my Dad, too.