On Saturday 6 September, hundreds of people will come together at The Drill in Lincoln for a music festival to celebrate the life of Ben Croft – a music fan, lover of Japanese culture, and friend who made a lasting impact on everyone who knew him.
‘CroftFest’, organised by Ben’s best friend Scott Cooper, 32, from Newark, will feature live music from metal and punk bands, as well as local stalls, food, merchandise and prizes. All profits will go to Muscular Dystrophy UK, the leading charity for 110,000 people in the UK living with one of over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions, in memory of Ben who lived with muscular dystrophy and sadly died in November 2024, aged 32.
Scott and Ben met at Lincoln College when they were both 16 and studying on the same music performance course.
Scott Cooper said:
“It turned out we went to the same primary school, but we didn’t know each other back then. We played in the same band at college and spent a lot of time together, hanging out, going to gigs. Ben was incredibly kind and self-depreciating, with a dry sense of humour, and he was one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met.”
Explaining why he decided to organise CroftFest, Scott said:
“Ben was my best friend and music was our thing. When he died at the end of last year, I knew that I wanted to do something to honour him and celebrate his life. He was passionate about music, something he shared with me and his whole family, so putting on a music festival in his memory seemed like the most obvious thing to do. I wanted to bring together everything Ben loved and combine that with raising money for an important cause so that we can make a real difference.
Scott and Ben with their band at college.“Ben lived with a muscle wasting condition and was in a wheelchair from the age of eight or nine. But he never let it stop him doing what he loved. After college, we continued to play in a band, and he moved into music production.
“When I came up with the idea of CroftFest, I decided to use it as an opportunity to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy UK. I’m hoping to raise £10,000 and make it an annual event – a legacy for Ben. I’m pleased that his family will be there on the day and are supportive of me doing this in his memory. I think he’d be proud and gutted that he’s not here to be part of it. It’s the type of event I know he’d love and it’s an honour to do this for him.”
CroftFest on 6 September will be headlined by alt-metal band Defences, and the line-up also includes Blight Town, Chaos Reigns, Distance Divine, The Five Hundred, Fox Womb, InRetrospect, Motions, and Overthrone.
Scott and Ben with their band at college.Scott concluded:
“Along with music and gaming, Ben loved Japanese culture, and we visited Japan together in 2017. I’m delighted that the restaurant chain wagamama, which is inspired by Japanese ramen bars, agreed to support the event as it feels like a real nod to that part of Ben’s life.
“It’s important to me that, in addition to raising money, this event also helps to increase awareness as not a lot of people know about muscular dystrophy. I’m hoping that CroftFest will bring together 500 people to celebrate Ben’s life and raise money to help Muscular Dystrophy UK fund vital research and support others living with a muscle wasting condition.”
Tickets for CroftFest cost £27.50pp including booking fee. Find out more and book at https://www.lincolndrill.co.
For more information about fundraising your way for Muscular Dystrophy UK visit https://www.
Find out more about Muscular Dystrophy UK at https://www.
