A club that helps disabled people in and around High Wycombe were given a night to remember when a popular reggae band provided them with a free night of entertainment.
The Gateway Club, which has been in operation for over 60 years, provides weekly activities for those with physical or mental impairments.
These events can range from playing sports to taking part in quiz nights, whilst also enjoying trips to local venues.
And on November 5, members of the Gateway Club were on their feet as the High Wycombe-based reggae band, Xc’s were in town.
The group, which formed in 2005 but began performing publicly in 2007, would frequently tour in most of the town's bars and clubs, before venturing out the county.
Performances in Manchester and London soon followed as the group became popular in the underground scene.
However, with the decline of the live music scene in High Wycombe, coupled with family commitments and the sad passing of their drummer in 2020, Xc’s went on a hiatus.
After more than four years away, they are now back and hope to regenerate the music scene in the town.
They were greeted by Gateway members dancing and singing along to their tunes.
Club leader Jackie Boyce told the Free Press: “We put on all sorts of different activities such are sporty, arty, they can be quizzes, games…anything they request, we try and meet their needs.
“This is the best fun they can have on a Tuesday.
“We are very grateful to anyone who wants to help us and whilst we never had a reggae band before, as it’s quite rare for us to have something like this, we knew that our members were going to have a great time as they are the best audience ever.”
The band’s manager, Will Alexander, told the Free Press: “My sister is a volunteer with Gateway, and we want to spread as much joy and positivity as we can around High Wycombe.
The Gateway Club currently has 80 members with 65 attending events held on a Tuesday night.
They also have around 18 volunteers.
For more information, go to www.highwycombegatewayclub.org.
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