Simply The Best: BB With Love all-star concert to honour tragic Sheffield mum

A STAR-studded cancer charity fundraising concert featuring friends of a Sheffield showbiz family will launch a new BB With Love fund in memory of their tragic mum.
Matt Croke on The Voice. Photo by The Voice UKMatt Croke on The Voice. Photo by The Voice UK
Matt Croke on The Voice. Photo by The Voice UK

Mother of three Bev Croke, aged 61, died from breast cancer in March this year after a courageous 18-month battle.

Now her West End and The Voice singing sensation son Matt Croke, 33, his dance star sister Rachel, 37, brother Sean, 35 and husband, Mick, will keep her memory alive with a fund to support Weston Park Cancer Charity.

They will launch the BB With Love fund with a Simply The Best concert at Sheffield City Hall on Monday, October 4, 7.30pm - see www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk.

Joining Matt and Rachel on stage will be friends TV comedian Billy Pearce, The X Factor winner Joe McElderry, Broadway and West End star Kerry Ellis, Steps pop star Faye Tozer, Dancing On Ice winner, ex-Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Shameless star Hayley Tamaddon and TV's Superstar winner Ben Forster.

BUY TICKETS: Tickets for Simply The Best are £15, £26.70 & £32.90. A very limited number of VIP tickets are available, including a red carpet arrival, meet and greet with the show’s stars, drinks reception and canapes and a premium seated tickets. See www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk.

DONATE: To make a donation to the BB With Love fund online visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BB-with-Love.

WATCH: Remember Matt's The Voice UK nlind audition singing Come What May from Moulin Rouge? Watch on our YouTube player or CLICK HERE.

All profit raised from this performance will go directly to Weston Park Cancer Charity, to help cancer patients and their loved ones. From extra after care, more research, additional treatments, alternative remedies, and something extremely close to their heart’s mental health support.

Bev was an inspirational woman who worked tirelessly during her treatment to reach out to others, to make sure they knew they weren't alone.

The family want to continue doing this and are working closely with Weston Park Cancer Charity to support those in need, as well as their families.

It follows the love, care and support Bev received from both charity and hospital staff during her cancer treatment.

Matt and his sister Rachel trained and performed together in Sheffield from a young age before embarking on successful careers. He has starred in lead roles in London’s West End in the likes of Wicked, Singin’ in the Rain, Chicago and most recently had the lead role in Aladdin.

Rachel is now a Licentiate member of the International Dance Teachers Association.

They described Bev as a ‘magnificent wife and truly special mum’.

In a joint statement they said: "Mum always wanted to help people. She didn't want others to feel that they were alone; that they could reach out.

Simply The Best all-star charity concert launching BB With Love at Sheffield City Hall on October 4Simply The Best all-star charity concert launching BB With Love at Sheffield City Hall on October 4
Simply The Best all-star charity concert launching BB With Love at Sheffield City Hall on October 4

"For every penny we can raise, if it pays towards helping awareness of the mental health support available, and if someone up at Weston Park's research centre finds a treatment which improves outcomes for patients right here in Sheffield – it'd be absolutely wonderful."

“Mum always wanted to help people,” added daughter Rachel.

“Throughout her cancer journey, she didn’t want others to feel that they were alone and that they could reach out.

“One of the big things which she always wanted was to volunteer. By setting up BB With Love, it’s like saying ‘from Bev with love’… through us, she is still able to help others.

“We wanted to help Weston Park and to continue what mum wanted to do in helping people.”

Mick Croke, Bev’s husband, said: “Treatment is getting better every day.

Tragic Bev Croke a ‘magnificent wife and truly special mum’Tragic Bev Croke a ‘magnificent wife and truly special mum’
Tragic Bev Croke a ‘magnificent wife and truly special mum’

“For every penny we can raise, if it pays towards helping awareness of the mental health support available, and if someone up at Weston Park’s research centre finds a treatment which improves outcomes for patients right here in Sheffield – it’d be absolutely wonderful.

“I'm here with my family, raising money and awareness to help treat cancers. If we can do that, that's all we wanted to achieve. If people affected by cancer talk to each other more and more, we’ve done everything that Beverley wanted to achieve.

“The effect of our fundraising is going to be distributed in an area that is so close to our hearts, and that of people across our region. It's all for genuine purposes and after this last year and a half, when charities have taken such a battering, we want to play our part.

“If one person, this time next year, says thank you to me because of what we’ve managed to do – that’s payment enough.”

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