Band Doing Time raise £3,500 for St Peter's Hospice and Jack Rooke's Will To Walk appeal in farewell gig at BAWA club

A WELL-known Bristol band retired in style – by raising £3,500 for charity.

Doing Time bade farewell in front of 350 people at the BAWA club in Filton after more than 600 gigs together.

The five-piece, who specialise in rock and pop covers, will now donate £3,000 from ticket sales to St Peter's Hospice, and £500 from a raffle to Jack's Will To Walk – the appeal helping youngster Jack Rooke get a life-changing operation.

As previously reported, the four-year-old from Whitchurch has cerebral palsy and cannot walk on his own.

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He is the latest Bristol child whose family is raising thousands of pounds to fund surgery to give him the chance to walk again – and hopefully play football.

His parents Hannah Trimby and Sam Rooke have a target of £35,000 to pay for the selective dorsal rhizotomy or SDR operation and subsequent physiotherapy, which is available at Frenchay Hospital to ease the tightness suffered in the muscles of youngsters with cerebral palsy. It is not routinely funded by the NHS, however.

The lead singer of Doing Time is Jack's grandad Adrian's cousin – Tony Rooke.

Formed 17 years ago, Doing Time is completed by Richard Hall on lead guitar, Steve Pailing on bass, drummer Colin Davis and guitarist Stuart Creese.

They have played at pubs, clubs, weddings and major events such as Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, but have decided to call it a day.

Tony, 50, said: "We've always done charity gigs and we wanted to go out with a bang.

"St Peter's Hospice seemed like a great cause because the work they do has touched so many people's lives.

"We're delighted we can help little Jack too with the proceeds of the raffle."

Looking back on the band's time together the dad of one, who manages the apprentices at Airbus and lives in Bradley Stoke, added: "We've had a fantastic time together and we've all become firm friends.

"I will miss it, I'm sure. I'm thinking about doing a bit of acoustic stuff.

"I don't think I'll ever stop singing – I've always loved singing right from when I was a kid."

The band were supported by Southmead band Hooper in their farewell gig, and Panik PA provided the sound system for a fraction of the usual cost.

So far, close to £14,000 has been raised for Jack's Will To Walk.

His parents have organised a number of fundraising events, including a match between rugby and football teams, a dance music night and Miss Trimby and a friend will be sitting in a bath of porridge while having her hair washed in gravy.

To donate to Jack's appeal visit www.justgiving.com/Jacks-will-to-walk.

A spokeswoman for NHS Bristol said that the trust looked at all requests for funding for procedures on an individual case-by-case basis.

"The PCTs have been in discussions with North Bristol NHS Trust, which is keen to establish a service for SDR," she said.

"During the course of these discussions, it became clear that this was a high-cost specialist procedure, which required regional or national commissioning, rather than locally through PCTs, to avoid inequitable access to the treatment."

For more information on St Peter's Hospice, visit www.stpetershospice.org.uk or call 01179 159400.