PA speakers donated to Splat Boy Promotions! Hear them in action at the Launch Party!

We were introduced to Marcus Coombs of Splat Boy Promotions by Dan Flitcroft of Stage 2 Studios and we immediately felt that the plans that Marcus has for his acoustic evenings fitted with the Foundation’s aims.

The Foundation has donated a pair of PA speakers to help Marcus achieve his goals. You can hear them in action at the launch of Splat Boy Promotions.

Paul, Lesa, Marcus Coombs and Dan Flitcroft

In Marcus’s own words:

My name is Marcus Coombs, in 2017 I decided to start putting on some acoustic nights in my local pub. It went well. I soon realised that I was able to showcase talent of all ages and abilities and do so in a way which respects them as artists as well as respects the people who had taken the time to come and watch them.

Through a lot of hardwork, I then managed to pull off a successful festival at the Swan pub in Swineford (Swine Fest). Over the course of the last year I have developed fantastic friendships and acquaintances with people of all backgrounds within the Somerset area. In the the Summer of 2018 I met Lesa and Paul Cross. They lost their son to a rare illness a few years ago and in his memory created The William Cross Foundation. I explained to them my ethos and goals and it was clear that we shared many core principles. The main one being: Support new and emerging artists and help give them the tools to fulfil their goals.

As a consequence of this meeting, I was blown away when Lesa and Paul offered to donate a brand new PA system to our nights. This has enabled me to take the philosophy of our live music nights and add a professional touch which not only makes it more enjoyable for the punters, but gives the artists the confidence that we are showcasing their talent in the most honest and respectful way.

With this in mind, I re-branded the nights to ‘Splat Boy Promotions’ which has a more meaningful and personal resonance with me. I am committed to taking Splat Boy to the next level whilst supporting the fantastic William Cross Foundation. We are now working with other local organisations such as Recording Studios, Music Teachers and Education Providers to build a family of local talent and volunteers to help keep live music alive for people of all ages and backgrounds within Bath, Bristol and the surrounding areas.

Marcus and speakers

WCF donates guitar to Bath Spa Uni student

We’re proud to announce that the William Cross Foundation has been able to support student Ed Axtell with the provision of a grant for a new guitar. Ed is in his second year at Bath Spa University studying commercial music and we were struck by his enthusiasm and passion.

Ed lives with autism and the trustees agreed that the Foundation would make funds available to enable Ed to take his musical development further.

You can find out more about autism through the National Autism Society.

Bath Spa student Ed Axtell with the guitar provided by the William Cross Foundation

“I'm looking to create a larger, unique and diverse sound from a single instrument… the guitar will allow me to take my music to another level, giving me the flexibility for live performance to create a deeper and more engaging sound for the audience, taking my performance to another level.”

“…to turn a bitter memory and incident into a positive legacy is absolutely amazing and I'm incredibly grateful for charities like this one being around.”

Julie Franklin completes the Great North Run and raises £1080 and counting!

A fantastic effort by Julie Franklin who has raised a whopping £1080 to date after completing the Great North Run! Julie showed great determination in completing the course, having been very unwell in the lead up to, and during the event. Above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you!

It’s not to late to sponsor Julie. Just click the button below!

Photos unearthed from Kingswood School at Green Park Station 2016

A number of photos have been discovered from the Kingswood School annual jazz gig held at Green Park Station on Friday, 20th May 2016.  Will is pictured here singing a duet with Tom Parsons.  These are the last pictures that we have of Will...  The pictures are also available on the Gallery.

William Cross Prize for Politics 2018

Following William’s tragic and untimely death on 28th May 2016, his parents Paul and Lesa Cross established the William Cross Prize for Politics, to be awarded annually to a Sixth Form student at Kingswood School.

The second winner of the Prize (together with a book token), at the Kingswood School Annual Prize-giving in July 2018, was Rose Buxton.

Friends of Kingswood raise £700

At the Kingswood School May 2018 Summer Ball, the Friends of Kingswood sold raffle tickets to raise money for the Kingswood 6th Form’s two chosen charities.  One of the charities they chose was the William Cross Foundation.  

The hard work of the Committee gathering a fabulous array of prizes and generous parents resulted in a total of £700 being raised for the Foundation. 

Representatives of the Friends of Kingswood presented Paul and Lesa Cross with a cheque for this amount at Kingswood School.

Official opening of the Will Cross Room at Stage 2 Studios, Bath

On the evening of Friday 8th June, the family of the late Will Cross, members of his bands: Stolen Souls, 5 Second Rule and Trenchard; parents, and a small group of friends, gathered at Stage 2 Studios, Brassmill Lane, Bath, to celebrate the official opening of a newly refurbished studio dedicated to the memory of Will: the Will Cross Room.

The owner of Stage 2 Studios, Dan Flitcroft, thought of the idea as a tribute to Will and as a way of keeping his name alive, as he and his fellow band members had spent many enjoyable hours rehearsing and recording some of their material at the studios.  The particular studio named after Will is the same one in which 5 Second Rule were televised playing on BBC Points West, following their "five minutes of fame", after their song ‘Drives me round the bend’ was played three times on the Chris Evans show on BBC Radio 2.