A NIGHT To Remember, the annual charity night run by York musician Ian Donaghy, has raised a record £37,964 for St Leonard’s Hospice and dementia services in York.

“Unbelievable!” said an ecstatic Big Ian. “Thank you to everyone who performed, helped, donated or made up the phenomenal crowd of 1,400 at York Barbican. This really shows what can happen when a city unites to help others.”

On April 13, Big Ian hosted the night of myriad cover versions performed by such York musicians as Chris Helme, Beth McCarthy & Boss Caine, Heather Findlay, Jess Steel and Jeannie Leech, Las Vegas Ken, Graham Hodge, These Jaded Streets, the Hands & Voices choir, Annie Donaghy, George Hall’s house band and fiddler Kieran O’Malley.

“I don’t have the vocabulary sophisticated enough to say how immensely proud I feel about the sum we raised. It’s astonishing! Not bad for a gang show untouched by the deathly grip of rehearsal,” said Big Ian. “Thank you to Stuart Paver and all at Pavers for their generosity in donating so much; to Gear4Music for equipment; JSS Audio and Bortex Lighting, and to our anonymous supporter, whose support means that our costs are covered before the tickets even go on sale, so all the proceeds can go to the good causes.”

The funds raised will go towards paying for counselling, family support, respite and events at St Leonard’s Hospice; invaluable dementia cafés to combat loneliness; the Vocal Flourish dementia choir; the Hull Road Secret Garden project for people living with dementia; family carers’ groups for those living with dementia; Hands & Voices, Accessible Arts singing and signing choir in York, and resources for older people with learning disabilities.

“Thanks to everyone for getting behind these ridiculous ideas I keep coming up with and turning them into something amazing,” said Big Ian. “I’m up for A Night To Remember 2018 if you are. I’ll now hibernate with a big smile on my face.”