Oxton-based charity Amy & Friends releases fundraising song

Amy & Friends, an Oxton-based charity supporting children with Cockayne Syndrome and linked DNA repair disorders and their families, is releasing a song, “War Child”, to raise vital funds and awareness of its work.

The song was gifted to the charity by North West audio and film production company TT23 Studios, after the business began supporting the organisation and capturing footage of its work.

The song was originally inspired by current events and the hardships faced by children, particularly those facing battles they cannot win, and written and composed by TT23 managing directors Tania Cornick and Tom Foulkes.

On hearing its lyrics and haunting melody, Amy & Friends founder, Jayne Hughes, identified how they resonated closely with the experience of the children the charity supports and used butterfly imagery that aligns closely with how the charity remembers those children lost to the devastating illnesses they face.

Jayne, who this year was named “Woman of Courage 2024” at the Merseyside Women of the Year awards and “Carer of the Year” at the BBC Radio Merseyside Making a Difference Awards, said:

“When I listened to ‘War Child’ the words just reflected what the children and young people that Amy & Friends supports experience. Every day they are in a fight for their lives – for answers, diagnosis, for the right kind of help and to enable them to have the best and most fulfilling lives they can while battling these conditions that take too many of them from us too soon. We are so grateful to TT23 for all their support and for giving us the gift of this beautiful song.”

Amy & Friends was set up by Jayne and her family in 2007, following many years of searching for a diagnosis for her daughter, Amy. Amy was eventually diagnosed at the age of 14 with DNA repair disorders Cockayne Syndrome/XRCC4. She fought many battles, led an amazing life and outlived her expected years, before her journey ended on 1st January 2020, when she was just 28 years old.

Amy’s legacy now continues through the work of the charity, helping children and their families in gaining diagnosis, providing information for medical papers, aiding research programmes, offering respite and 24/7 online support, organising transport and accommodation, and accompanying 10 families twice monthly to a specialist clinic in London, as well as delivering regular outreach events.

Amy & Friends also holds an annual wellbeing conference for families and worldwide specialists. This year the conference, which takes place from 24th – 26th October 2024 and will be attended by more than 300 people.

Tania, lyricist and vocalist on the song, added:

“These children go through everything that the lyrics state and this is what makes it hard-hitting and truthful. The music composition coupled with lyrics are extremely powerful. Amy was a beautiful soul that was desperate to help others, especially her friends that were dying very young from these illnesses. Her love and strength need to live on and will through the people she continues to inspire.”

To honour Amy’s memory, the final version of the song ends with words of hope and resilience, spoken by Amy: “Keep smiling everybody”.

Tom, the song’s producer and mix engineer said:

“After seeing Jayne’s reaction to the song, we decided to gift it to the charity, to help raise awareness of its work and everything these children and their families have been through and continue to go through, as well as vital funds. The song now has a whole new meaning to it, and it feels like it was always meant to be a song for Amy & Friends.”

The song will be released to the public on Saturday 21st September. Its first official play was by BBC Radio Merseyside’s Billy Hui on Sunday 8th September, who will be continuing to support and promote the track. It will then be available to stream and download, with a Just Giving page being set up to allow people to donate to the charity.

The release of the song has also been supported by distributors Landr and North Wales-based musician, Leam Jones, who recorded the guitar for the track. A music video produced by TT23 will also be released.

You can download or stream the track here.