Celebrating Bands for Bomber

Cheering our team on, 24/7!

We’re a tight-knit bunch here at Fluid and are always looking out for each other. We love supporting our local communities and championing those that make Fluid such a wonderful place to work. 

That’s why we love to encourage our team to raise funds or volunteer for causes or charities they feel passionate about, especially when it’s so close to their hearts. 

Kevin Wickett, one of our Merchandise Consultants, recently organised Bands for Bomber, an event to raise funds for his local Cornish Hospice Care charity. We caught up with him afterwards to find out how it all went.

What's Bands for Bomber?

“Bands for Bomber is a charity day we organise each year for what would have been our friend's birthday. Any funds we raise from the event go to Cornwall Hospice Care as they looked after Bomber so amazingly; we wanted to give back to them as a massive thank you.”

What influenced you to start Bands for Bomber?

“Sadly, we lost our good friend to cancer in October 2023, so everything we do is to honour him as well as raise awareness to help others. We also wanted to raise money for Cornwall Hospice Care - the hospice that helped Bomber.” 

Was the first Bands for Bomber a success?

“I’d say so! The first Bands for Bomber event was actually held last year, where we ended up raising an impressive £6,200 for the hospice. It made us realise that this was something we could organise every year to help make a real difference in our community.”

Have you done any other fundraising events for Bomber?

“We originally organised a walk to try and raise money so he could get specialist treatment in Germany, but 2 days before the walk he lost his battle with cancer. 

“We still went ahead with the walk however, calling it ‘March for Bomber’ (where we walked from Fowey in Cornwall to Plymouth Argyle). 

“In the lead-up to the walk, we were trying to raise awareness of the symptoms that Bomber had in the hope that it would help others catch it early on. This led to us being interviewed on ITV, BBC TV, plus a couple of radio stations on the day of the walk, too, which was pretty awesome.  

“From the walk, we managed to raise an amazing £26,000 for Cornwall Hospice Care, plus £9,000 for the local children’s hospital.”

What’s been your fundraising highlight so far?

“Bomber was a season ticket holder for Plymouth Argyle and would go to all their home and away games. We timed our ‘March for Bomber’ for when the team played Millwall in the league, and we ended up having loads of donations from Millwall fans and even some of the police at the game, which was lovely. 

“And it was an insane moment when, at the 44th minute, Plymouth Argyle organised a minute of applause to honour Bomber. However, the moment was made even more special when all the players unexpectedly stopped mid-game to clap - it was such an iconic moment that it even made it onto Sky Sports.”

How was this year’s Bands for Bomber?

“It was amazing, even better than last year’s I’d say, which I thought wouldn’t be possible. But it was a great day of getting close friends and family together to celebrate our friend and raise some much-needed funds for an amazing charity. 

“Everyone especially loved the raffle. We had some really generous donations from local businesses, such as a signed Plymouth Argyle t-shirt that the club donated, VIP Plymouth Argyle tickets that Thatchers donated, and Madri donated £1 from every pint sold to the charity as well.”

What was your favourite moment from the night?

“I remember around 7 pm that evening just standing at the back of the room and seeing the venue absolutely packed full of people smiling and laughing and just enjoying themselves - all in the name of a charity that is so close to all of our hearts. It was definitely a real ‘pinch-me’ moment I’ll never forget.” What bands played this year?

“We had a whole host of amazing musicians and bands join us this year. From Flight 42, The Outlanders, Papa do Swing, and Chris Ostler, to Tom Cary and Rachel Best. Each one of them put on a fantastic performance that kept everyone dancing long into the night.”

What bands played this year? 

“We had a whole host of amazing musicians and bands join us this year. From Flight 42, The Outlanders, Papa do Swing, and Chris Ostler, to Tom Cary and Rachel Best. Each one of them put on a fantastic performance that kept everyone dancing long into the night.”

What else stood out to you from the night?

“The food! It was insanely delicious. We had Dank Franks' Greek Food van outside the venue to feed the punters with lots and lots of tasty gyros - highly recommend!”

How much have you raised from the event?

“From our second Bands for Bomber event, we’ve managed to raise a staggering £7,000! A big thank you to all those who donated!”

Will there be another Bands for Bomber?

“Hell yes! I’m hoping the next one will be even bigger and better, with plans to possibly make it a 2-day event, so watch this space!”

Can people still donate?

“Of course! We’re excited to be handing over a giant cheque to Cornwall Hospice Care soon, but if you’d like to donate you can donate directly to the hospice.”

Do you have any other fundraising ideas in the pipeline?

“Bands for Bomber no.3! And possibly some more sponsored walks. 

“We organised a mini walk last year where the Plymouth Friends walked from Plymouth, and the Cornish Friends started in Fowey. We all met in Looe where (after drying) we had a few beers and pasties and shared our stories of Bomber. We’d like to do something like this again if possible now the weather’s getting a lot brighter.”

Is there anyone you’d like to give a shoutout to?

“I’d like to say a big thank you to all the suppliers from our amazing industry who helped us with items for the event. 

“I want to give Jamie and Kyra from DTB a massive shoutout for helping us create some t-shirts for the event that we could also sell to raise more funds for Cornwall Hospice Care. 

“Chris from Laltex was an absolute legend, too, for providing us with branded bomber bottles, diaries, lanyards and bottle openers. Again, people could buy these and the proceeds all went to charity. 

“We also had a backdrop printed last year that we reuse each year - I really appreciate all the help and support we’ve received from the promotional merchandise industry - we work with some really amazing people and I honestly couldn’t thank you all enough!”

Making every moment monumental

We’re here to help you and our team dream big. 

Whether that’s through meaningful merchandise or helping the communities we love. 

We’re all about making a big, beautiful, positive impact whenever we can! 

To find out more about what’s next for Bands for Bomber and Cornwall Hospice Care, check out their websites for more insight into what they do and how you can help. 

Interested in making your brand monumental, too? Get in touch to chat with your dedicated merchandise consultant today.