WE would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who supported and were involved with the two musical tribute concerts to the late Yvonne Walkerdine; the first held on January 24 at the Forest Theatre, and the second more recently on May 2 at St Paul's Church, Parkend. Both events featured some oustanding local musicians and many of the performers had shared memories of working with Yvonne, or were originally trained by her.
The fact that both concerts were completely over-subscribed is itself a testimony to the lasting influence that Yvonne Walkerdine has exerted over so many lives. She would have been absolutely delighted and probably rather amazed that this series of concerts has raised over £1,300 for Yorkley Surgery and £800 for Macmillan Cancer Care. We have now decided to focus our efforts and energies on the encouragement of youth music in our local area and are hoping to raise sufficient funds in order to create an annual musical bursary in Yvonne's name.
Finally, we would like once again to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who made the concerts such a success. The tremendous support and encouragement received from our community has proven a strength and an inspiration. – Robert Walkerdine and Fiona Crawley, Parkend.