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Mark's Story

Mark Fielden, born and bred in Shrewsbury, has been the brains and backbone behind Chords Crush Cancer – an iconic music event dedicated to raising funds for Lingen Davies Cancer Support.

Intended as a one-off event, Chords Crush Cancer has since gone on to achieve almost a decade of musical fundraising, with Mark now busy preparing for the event’s final hurrah in February 2026.

“I didn’t think I’d get any better than the last one but I’ve somehow managed to do it.”

We caught up with him to hear more about his fundraising journey inspired by the memory of his much-loved mum, Margaret.

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“I felt I needed to do something”

Mark began fundraising for Lingen Davies Cancer Support in 2015 following his mum’s cancer diagnosis.

“In 2015 my mum was sadly diagnosed with cancer. She was looked after by the wonderful team at Lingen Davies and, although I’d heard of Lingen Davies before through a charity event held at my local pub, I didn’t really know a lot about what they do or the support they provide.

“My mum was quite a stubborn person and didn’t want chemotherapy or anything like that, so a plan was put in place to support her and her wishes. I just thought the people working at Lingen Davies were so wonderful for going along with mum’s wishes.

“It struck a chord with me, and I felt I needed to do something to say thank you for the advice, care, and compassion that she and the rest of our family were shown during that difficult time.”

The start of Chords Crush Cancer

It was while Mark was visiting his mum in the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital that the concept for Chords Crush Cancer was formed.

“At that time, I was very into my music and was lucky enough to have friends who are very talented musicians. Everyone can relate to music, be that a happy moment or a sad moment, so I thought it would be a great way to bring people together.

“The original idea was to put a music event on and raise a bit of money during an evening in 2016. It took me a while to think of a name for the event because I’m a bit of a perfectionist and I wanted it to feel right.

“I came up with Chords Crush Cancer to link back to the idea that chords and music can beat cancer. Since then, it’s been quite catchy and well-known locally. If you ask most people in Shrewsbury whether they’ve heard of it, most will say yes.”

After creating the concept, gathering some volunteer musicians, selecting The Inn on the Green in Radbrook as a venue, and giving the event a name, Mark then had to work out how the event could raise important funds for Lingen Davies Cancer Support. It was then that he decided to host a raffle, auction, and ‘Name the Bear’ competition.

“Looking back at those first prizes compared to what we’ve got for the 2026 event, it’s a million miles away. From that first event we raised over £1,100 which was amazing as I hadn’t expected to raise more than a few hundred pounds.”

While Chords Crush Cancer was originally intended to be a one-off fundraiser, all of that changed the moment Mark stepped back into the pub the day after.

“I’d just gone to have a beer and reflect on what we’d achieved the night before and I had people coming up to me saying ‘what a night’ and ‘you’ve got to do it again; it was so much fun’. It kind of snowballed from there.”

In Margaret’s Memory

Following the success of the launching event, Mark held another fundraiser the following year with the support of his friends and family. Unfortunately, the immediate high he felt afterwards was short-lived.

“After holding our second event in February 2016, sadly my mum passed away in the March and, to be honest, I wasn’t really sure what I should do next. It was a really sad time for my family but after speaking with my father and two sisters about what I should do, they were supportive of me continuing to raise money in mum’s memory.

“Sitting here now, I’m proud of what we’ve done in her memory. What a legacy she’s left behind,” he added.

Making it all worthwhile

“The raffle this year has 40 prizes, and we’ll also have around 7 auction prizes. These include various tickets to comedians and musicians, as well as football shirts and signed artwork – the list goes on. One of the biggest auction prizes will be two tickets to see Peter Kay, as well as backstage passes to meet and greet with him.

“I spend a lot of time sending emails and contacting people via Facebook and Instagram. It takes up a lot of time but when you get that super prize, it makes it all worthwhile. Sadly, many celebrities have often had similar experiences with losing a loved one which makes them want to help.”

Putting pen to paper

In 2025 Mark decided to take things one step further and dedicate a book to his mum’s memory, titled Memories of Margaret.

“I’d always wanted to write a book and tie it in with my fundraising and the journey we’ve been on as a family. It was painstaking work, don’t get me wrong, but I knew it could give some comfort to people going through a similar journey to the one I went on. Plus, I really wanted to inspire the next generation of fundraisers.

“I just consider myself a local guy from Shrewsbury, nothing special, but if I can inspire one person to make a difference for any charity by raising money to support those who need it most, that’s vital,” he added.

Mark’s book, Memories of Margaret, is available to purchase online, as well as at the final Chords Crush Cancer Event in February.

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Going out on a ‘Blaze of Glory’

With a high level of publicity gained through his fundraising events, it’s no surprise that Mark received multiple nominations for the 2025 BBC Make a Difference Awards in the ‘Fundraiser’ category.

“I received the news I was a finalist which I was absolutely delighted about. On a personal level it’s obviously nice, but I’m more for raising awareness for Lingen Davies as they’re so close to my heart.

“I was just delighted to be given a bigger opportunity to tell more people about the amazing work that Lingen Davies does. I was even invited to speak to Gaby Roslin on BBC Radio London before the winner was announced”

Mark was announced winner of the Fundraiser Category at an award ceremony in September 2025. A few short weeks later, he received a call he never expected.

“Me and my wife were on our way back from shopping in Telford when I had a phone call from the BBC. They said that, after hearing my story, they thought I would be a good guest to feature on a Boxing Day special with Gaby Roslin and Jon Bon Jovi. Of course, I snapped their hand off.

“Fast forward to a few weeks later, I recorded a Zoom with three other BBC Make a Difference award winners. The mind-blowing bit for me is that out of every person in the UK who won one of those awards, I was one of the four that had been chosen to chat to such a global megastar. It was just surreal really.

“We all got a chance to speak to Jon about our story and you could just see in his face and how he spoke that he was genuinely interested. He was such a lovely and down to earth human being.

“He was asking questions about my mum and what she was like. He then asked me why I chose music as my way to fundraise, so I told him I believe music connects people and that everyone has a memory come up when a specific song comes on the radio.

“He then asked how the event makes money, so I mentioned the auction and raffle prizes donated by a long list of people. That’s when he said he’d like to add is name to the list.”

Following the interview, Jon Bon Jovi donated tickets to his sold-out world tour, as well as some signed albums.

“It was amazing – a definite highlight of the year,” Mark added.

The Last Dance

After a decade of dedicated fundraising, the final Chords Crush Cancer event titled ‘The Last Dance’ will take place on Saturday, 7th February at The Inn on the Green.

“2026 will bring ten years of fundraising to an end. I can’t say that I won’t fundraise again as it will always be in my blood, but this is the last time it will be in this format.”

The 2026 musicians will be Andy Mills Acoustic, Davy Lewis, Cooper & Davies, The Shire-ish Rovers, and Ego Friendly.

“Entertainment will also include Magic Martin from Shropshire, a close-up magician who has been to the event before. He’s so good that I even booked him as a surprise for my wife, Carly, for our wedding.

“We also have Clive who has been with us a few times before who does on-the-spot caricatures, with all the money he makes coming to the charity,” he added.

For the first time, the event is going to be live streamed for people who can’t attend.