Glittering ball to mark late Peter Cordwell's 50th birthday helps raise £164k for Jolly Josh charity

Date published: 28 April 2022

A celebratory ball to commemorate the 50th birthday of late businessman Peter Cordwell has helped raise an astounding £164,000 for local children’s charity, Jolly Josh.

The Hard Hats for Charity Ball took place at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester on Saturday 23 April to mark the businessman’s milestone birthday on 26 April.

An impressive £136,000 was raised on the night, with the remainder coming from a trial in connection with Peter's death.

Over 450 guests were greeted at the glittering event with a rock entryway, wooden entry bridge, tiki village, a mushroom glade, an eight-foot alligator and a 20-foot pirate ship as they enjoyed a champagne reception and three-course meal.

Entertainment included music from Shakermaker and a Peter Pan-themed performance, featuring the song “Don’t Say Goodbye” from the musical show as a video of Mr Cordwell - known fondly to his friends and family as ‘Creamy’ – was played in tribute.

A table with Peter and his father Melvin’s photos also took pride of place at the event. Melvin, 76, sadly died just 18 days after his son.

An extravagant raffle and auction rounded off the evening with prizes including a pair of one carat diamond earrings, a bespoke CAT Dozer firepit, a dinner party for eight people, plus a ‘Creamy extravaganza’ which included a model Creamy Crete truck, a Creamy teddy bear made out of some of Peter’s clothes and a surprise box filled with his favourite things.

An impressive £164,000 was raised in total for Jolly Josh, a charity close to Peter’s heart, which hosts stay-and-play sessions for children with disabilities and special needs.

In 2019, the well-known father-of-three gave the charity 10 years’ worth of free rent at his Ensor Mill site in Castleton.
 

Read more: Jolly Josh charity group receive keys for new permanent homePublished: 04 November 2019

Named after their son, Jolly Josh was started in September 2017 by Carole and James Kelly, after discovering there were no groups for young disabled children in Rochdale.

Josh was diagnosed with the genetic condition Mitochondrial Disease at the age of six months. The condition causes mutations in mitochondria, vital to every cell in the body, with Josh confirmed to have ‘extensive brain damage’ as a result.

The stay-and-play sessions were set up with the hope to bring families together, provide peer to peer support, share experiences, and eliminate isolation, especially for children with disabilities and special needs throughout the borough.

Sadly, Josh died just one month before his legacy was due to begin, originally taking place at Springside with Hamer Learning Community.

The premises at Ensor Mill – fully accessible for a range of needs and disabilities with specialist interactive sensory equipment for the children and their families to enjoy together – is set to open this weekend on Saturday 30 April.

 

 

Carole Kelly, who was named the 2019 Woman of Rochdale, said: "The Hard Hats Charity Ball 2022 was held in loving memory of our Jolly Josh Sponsor, our hero, Mr Peter Cordwell. Before Pete passed, he generously gifted our charity with our 'Place To Call Home'.

"On Saturday Pete’s family, friends and associates gathered to celebrate what would have been his 50th birthday; the evening was phenomenal!

"The love for Pete within the huge hall was felt throughout the night, and this was reflected in the astonishing amount of money which was raised in his memory. It is with sincere gratitude that I thank those involved in organising such an incredible event and for choosing Jolly Josh as a beneficiary; words will never be able to describe our appreciation.

"Instead, we hope to show those who generously donated the impact which Jolly Josh will make within our borough for those with disabled children as our charity opens the doors to our fully accessible centre on Saturday (30 April)."

 

Read more: Carole Kelly - Woman of Rochdale 2019Published: 26 April 2019

Alison McGuigan, Peter’s sister, said: “Peter loved to celebrate his birthday and he loved to fundraise, so it felt right for us as a family to combine the two as a tribute to his birthday.”

Mr Cordwell sadly died aged 48 after a fatal heart attack when confronting thieves on his property at Collop Gate Farm.
 

Read more: Four men jailed for over 40 years following burglary at Collop Gate Farm in HeywoodPublished: 25 March 2022

Peter was well-known throughout the borough of Rochdale, known for his companies PGC Demolition and Creamy Crete, and the many properties he owned, including Collop Gate Farm.

He was also involved in a lot of community projects and charity efforts, including raising thousands for Springhill Hospice, supporting Rochdale In Bloom, and owning the site where local motorbike group MT Heads hosted rallies.

 

 

Read more: Over £60k raised for Jolly Josh in memory of late Peter CordwellPublished: 28 May 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: Julianne Noon Photography