Rockers get the Queen’s Award
STUART PIKE
ABAND whose gigs have raised more than £400,000 for good causes over more than 25 years are celebrating the top honour for voluntary groups.
The Accy Rockers have been named one of seven Lancashire winners of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
The band has played hundreds of gigs across the area in support of charities - free of charge - since being formed as ‘ The Rockers Society’ in November 1992.
The lineup has been tinkered with a few times down the years - and currently the mainstays are Peter Crook, Gordon Holmes and John Anderson, all from Oswaldtwistle, George Duffy and Rod Hill, both from Clayton-leMoors, Baxenden’s Ken McKenna, and Ferngore’s Eric Bolton.
Vocalist Ken and his wife Mary - herself a former singer with the band - attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace last week on behalf of the group - meeting the Queen and Prince William. Ken said they were thrilled to have received the honour - regarded as the equivalent of an MBE.
Ken said: “All the boys are very emotional. Even some of the lads who don’t play with us anymore I’ve spoken to and left them in tears. We went down to the garden party last Thursday. It was fantastic, a day to remember.”
Band organiser Ken hopes to reunite everyone involved with the group, who play covers from a variety of rockers including Billy Fury, Cliff Richard and Eddie Cochran, later this year. It all started 26 years ago when around 20 musicians turned up at the Poplar Club after answering a newspaper article looking to bring together anyone who played in bands in the 50s and 60s - when rock and roll all began.
Ken, 74, added: “We didn’t think we’d still be going all this time later. All this money has been raised because of Hyndburn people. They put the money in the pot. We have done the gigs but it doesn’t cost us anything, other than taxis.”
The Accy Rockers have raised more than £400,000 after playing an average of 10 to 15 fundraising gigs a year over a quarter of a century. Among many good causes to have been helped are Macmillan Cancer Support, White Ash School, Chaigley Manor Trust, Wythenshawe Hospital, and Ros- sendale Hospice.
The Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, The Lord Shuttleworth KG KCVO, will officially present the award at a ceremony at County Hall in July.
Lord Shuttleworth said: “I congratulate and thank each and everyone and look forward to presenting them with their awards on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.”