Shakespeare play to raise money for charity

8:00am Tuesday 17th June 2008

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FUNDS are being raised for The Willow Trust charity, from performances of Shakespeare's romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing.

Gloucestershire-based Festival Players are presenting the show (in an all male production) at Flaxley Abbey, Forest of Dean, this weekend (Sunday, June 22); and at the Gate Farmhouse, Itchington, near Alveston on Sunday, June 29.

Each year The Willow Trust charity takes approximately 7,000 seriously ill children and disabled people on free boat trips on the Gloucestershire-Sharpness Canal. The Trust has two boats based at Saul Junction - Spirit of Freedom, which started operating in 1991 and Spirit of Freedom II - both specially equipped to take up to 30 people with disabilities.

Owners of the Gate Farmhouse, Itchington, Anton and Emma Buckoke are proud to open their beautiful gardens for this purpose again - an occasion that promises to be both enjoyable for audience members and to provide future enjoyment for people on the local waterways.

As volunteers for the Willow Trust, the Buckokes organise or host a number of fundraising events each year. In 2007, they raised £2,500 from a barbecue, the Festival Players' production of As You Like It, tea parties and supermarket collections.

This year's events were started last Friday with a barbecue attended by 80 people which raised £400. Book for the Itchington event on 01454 413318.

(The Festival Players' current production can also be seen this weekend at Kingshill House, Dursley - tomorrow, Friday, June 20.)