Tim Finn
New Zealand singer/songwriter Tim Finn will perform at next weekend’s Cambridge Community House fundraiser at the town hall. Photo – Stephen Ward.
Tim Finn says being part of the fundraiser for Cambridge Community House (CCH) is something he welcomes from the heart.
“I haven’t performed here for ages,” he said last week, “and this is an event I wholeheartedly support.”
The CCH event at the Cambridge Town Hall on November 8 is the organisation’s main fundraiser for 2019. The Evening of Stories and Song will feature Finn, Cambridge’s own Harry Parsons and celebrity cook Allyson Gofton, who now lives on the outskirts of town.
Finn was born in Te Awamutu; it was where his parents lived and worked, and where he and his siblings – Carolyn, Judy, and equally-acclaimed muso brother Neil – grew up. The family recently lost their father and patriarch, Richard Finn, who died last month aged 97.
“The thing about our family,” Tim said, “is that we were always very close. It makes you realise that places like Cambridge Community House are there for people who might not have supportive families in the same way we do.
“Places like that create an environment where people feel comfortable. Those who need help feel they can walk in off the street and get the help they seek without being judged. Many people who are facing difficulties, whatever they are, might find it intimidating to go into government organisations or agencies. They feel more comfortable at places like Cambridge Community House.”
Finn last performed in Cambridge several years ago when he offered his family’s songs and memories through White Cloud: Songs and Stories, presented at Gaslight Theatre. Part of that featured Parihaka, a single inspired by Dick Scott’s book, Ask That Mountain. It is a song he was asked to write by sister Carolyn Casey, who just happens to be chairperson of the Cambridge Community House Trust.
Finn will include Parihaka in his November 8 performance. He said both his parents had a strong social conscience and next week’s performance in Cambridge would win their nod of approval.
Part of the fundraising evening will be a Silent Auction featuring several significant prizes. Just a few of those are an outdoor table and chair set from Mitre 10, Manuka honey products, hot laps in a V8 around Hampton Downs, and a pass for four to Rotorua Gondola, Swing and Luge.
CCH manager Harriet Dixon said the fundraiser was vital to the organisation’s continuing operation. “Like any town in New Zealand, Cambridge has multiple issues across all socio-economic groups, including the need for affordable housing, unemployment, substance abuse, family harm and mental health issues. We rely on grants, donations and gifts from the Cambridge community to enable the provision of our free services.”
All three celebrities have given their time in support of the November 8 fundraiser. Tickets are $55 each, with reserved premium tables for eight available for $600.
Tickets are from Cambridge Paper Plus, or from CCH, 193 Shakespeare St, Leamington. For more information call 07-827 5402.
Ladies Night pitches in, too
Cambridge Community House (CCH) manager Harriet Dixon, left, with CCH Board of Trustees chairperson Carolyn Casey.
A Ladies Night fundraiser for Cambridge Community House raised $685 for the organisation.
CCH manager Harriet Dixon said community support like this “keeps our doors open and means we can continue to provide services to ensure our community wellbeing”.
