Testifest raises £27k for charity
FLORA BYATT
AMUSIC festival that has raised £27,000 for cancer charities is in its seventh year, organised by cancer survivor Neil Livesey.
Testifest, which returns next month, was set up by the 54-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, after he won his battle against testicular cancer.
Neil was diagnosed with the disease over eight years ago, after he found a lump in one of his testicles.
He left the lump for three months before getting it checked with doctors, when it turned
out to be secondary cancer, meaning the cancer had spread.
As a result, Neil had a tumour next to his kidneys and his spine alongside the initial one in his testicles.
Neil said: “I was okay about it. It’s a good one to get as it has high recovery rates. After two weeks when I found out I had secondary cancer, that’s when it sunk in.
“I had to be positive and get on with it.”
Neil, who works for a plant hire company, underwent chemotherapy at Preston Hospital, and luckily, he is now cancer-free and no longer has to go for check-ups every six months, as he is past the five year mark.
He set up Testifest to give something back, and raised £10,000 for Cancer Research in the festival’s first three years, before raising £17,000 in the Rosemere Cancer Foundation in the past three years.
Money has been used to refurbish Rosemere’s ward at Preston Hospital, the same ward where Neil as treated.
This year will be the seventh Testifest, and Neil has invited back tribute band Kazabian, who performed at the first Testifest.
They will kick the event off on the Friday night.
The festival is held in Ribble Valley at Hartley’s Farm Campsite, where Neil used to take his two sons, William, 24, and Jack, 28, when they were growing up.
Neil, who lives in Alice Street, said: “We are growing year on year as more people take time out from their busy lives to enjoy their families and enjoy good music and good company knowing that they are also supporting a great local cause.
“We decided to move Testifest back to its original August timing to avoid a clash of June dates with another music festival.
“It makes having Kazabian back with us to play the Friday night all the more special.”
Neil is helped to organise Testifest by his wife of 30 years, Julie.
This year’s festival has a ska fancy dress theme, and festival-goers can enjoy tributes to bands such as The Specials and Madness.
It will be held on August 9 to 11. Weekend camping tickets are £45, but children 13 and under go free.
For more information and tickets visit: www.testifest.co.uk