Bedford Park to Host The Mulberry Centre’s Anniversary Concert

Rachele Howes joins the Richmond Orchestra at St Michael and All Angels

Pianist Rachele Howes

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April 26, 2026

St Michael & All Angels Church in Bedford Park has announced that The Mulberry Centre, the cancer support charity based at the West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth, will be one of its three supported charities for 2026. This partnership will coincide with the charity’s 25th anniversary and a year of special fundraising events in Chiswick.

The church will host the charity’s official anniversary concert on Saturday 16 May, when the Richmond Orchestra, joined by pianist Rachele Howes, performs a programme of Dvořák, Beethoven and Brahms beneath the church’s vaulted roof. Tickets cost £15, with a reduced rate of £10 for students and under-16s, and are available through The Mulberry Centre’s fundraising website.

Margaret Hill, who chairs the charities group at St Michael & All Angels, said the partnership felt both timely and deeply rooted. She noted that The Mulberry Centre has long-standing links with the parish and that the congregation was eager to help raise funds and awareness in Chiswick during the charity’s milestone year.

The Mulberry Centre’s Head of Fundraising and Engagement, Lydia Plews, described the new partnership as “especially meaningful” as the charity marks 25 years of supporting people affected by cancer. She highlighted the role of founder Jane Kelly, a member of the St Michael’s community, whose early vision helped establish the centre and continues to shape its work today. Plews said the team was “thrilled” to bring the anniversary concert to the church and looked forward to collaborating over the next three years.

The Richmond Orchestra

Founded in 2001, The Mulberry Centre offers free emotional, psychological and practical support to anyone affected by cancer – including patients, carers and those who have been bereaved. More than 15,000 people have used its services, which range from counselling and complementary therapies to information sessions and wellbeing activities. Its volunteer team, now more than 140 strong, received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021.

The Mulberry Centre

As part of its anniversary celebrations, the charity will take part in several major Chiswick events this year. Following the May concert, it will be present at the Bedford Park Festival’s Green Days weekend on 13 and 14 June, before hosting a Gala Ball at the Clayton Hotel on Chiswick High Road on Saturday 26 September.

St Michael & All Angels selects three charities every three years, supporting each through fundraising, volunteering and year-round promotion. Alongside The Mulberry Centre, the 2026 charities are The Upper Room, which works with socially and economically disadvantaged people across West London, and the McCabe Educational Trust, which supports humanitarian and educational projects in the Holy Land.

For more information about the church’s charitable partnerships, visit the St Michael & All Angels website.

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