Charity memorial festival combines some of dad Jason’s greatest loves

Football and music will combine for a charity festival in memory of a much-loved dad who was a big fan of both.

Dad-of-five Jason Prebble died on New Year’s Eve 2021, and since then his family have held an annual event to celebrate his life and raise money for charity.

This year’s JP Live Forever Memorial Festival promises to be the biggest yet, and takes place in Folkestone on Saturday, 13 July, with a football match between two of his former teams, and music including a professional Oasis tribute band who will travel from Birmingham for the day.

Jason’s daughter Leigh, who is organising the event with other family members and friends, said it would combine some of his greatest loves.

She said: “He was a real family man with the biggest personality and spirit, and he absolutely loved football, music and festivals.

“He played for two teams in the Ashford league, the East Cliff Pavilion and Rendezvous, and many of his family and friends are joining his old teammates for a match.

“He was a huge fan of Oasis so we have one of the best tribute bands around, as well as local band Turmoil who played for some of our family events, and Gruuvments club night taking us into the evening with DJ Leon Hines.

“Dad’s death was a huge loss to us all and to the many people who loved him, and we try to deal with that by focusing on celebrating his life and raising money in his name.”

Jason, known as JP to many, contracted Covid-19 in November 2021, and was admitted to hospital in December. He was put into an induced coma in a bid to help his body heal, but he did not recover and the family were at his bedside when the decision to withdraw life-support was made, on New Year’s Eve.

With the help of the 3 Wishes Project, funded by donations to East Kent Hospitals Charity, staff in the critical care unit at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford helped create memories for his family, including casts of his hands, and keepsake bears for each of his five children, with one that stayed with Jason as well.

Leigh said: “We were so grateful to have the opportunity to have that time with him. At the end we were all with him, and we played the music he loved and just made it really special.

“We want other families to be able to benefit from the 3 Wishes Project as well so we try to raise as much as we can to support the charity.”

The event will also feature free children’s activities, including a bouncy castle, balloon modelling and stilt walker. There will also be a raffle to help raise additional funds, with prizes including a holiday in Ibiza, and other activities including face painting and hair braiding for an additional charge.

Tickets cost £5 for adults and £3 for children, and are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/jp-live-forever-memorial-events

The event takes place at the Dugout sports bar at Folkestone Invicta’s ground, the Alcaline Stadium in Cheriton Road, Folkestone, from noon on Saturday, 13 July. The football match kicks off at 2pm, with music from 4pm. Find out more on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553638544192