Background and Plans for This Year’s Concert


The Rotary Club of Sutton Nonsuch is the newest Rotary Club in the Sutton area (but not that new – we were formed in 1986!). As our name suggests our origins are around the Nonsuch Park area which borders Worcester Park, Cheam, Stoneleigh and Ewell.

A few years ago when we were reviewing our activities one of our members, David Hagger, suggested that as our Club name was directly associated with Nonsuch we should be building relationships with and assisting other organisations associated with Nonsuch. That brought us into contact with The Friends of Nonsuch.

The Friends of Nonsuch is a charity formed in 1991 to fight for the preservation of the Nonsuch Park Estate as an open space accessible to all. Their original very successful campaign highlighted the need for conservation work on the Grade II Listed Georgian Mansion House and since then groups of volunteers have been restoring the Mansion. The Friends also have groups researching the history of the site and are very much concerned with the conservation of the parklands and gardens of Nonsuch Park. The Service Wing Museum was opened to the public in 1993 which details the history of the site and also shows how a working service wing would have looked in the nineteenth century. To find out more about visiting the Mansion visit their website.

To finance their restoration work The Friends hold a number of fund raising activities, one of which was a Jazz Concert in the gardens of the Mansion held on a summer’s evening. Nonsuch Rotary approached The Friends with an offer to help organise and grow this event and a partnership was agreed. We would take over the planning and management of the event in return for a share in the profits to support Rotary charities. We first helped in 2007 when the event was upgraded to a Big Band Night featuring The Dave Marrion Big Band. Last year (2008) we took over the complete management of the event and a special committee was set up that included both Club members and members of The Friends of Nonsuch to oversee the organisation.

Despite a wet evening last year there was a very strong turnout and patrons enjoyed a great evening of Big Band Music, again from The Dave Marion Big Band. The early rain soon dried up and the evening finished with many of the audience dancing to the music of Glen Miller and other famous bands from the past.

The event raised much needed funds for The Friends of Nonsuch’s restoration work and also supported Rotary’s nominated charity The Macmillan Butterfly Centre at Epsom Hospital.

Last year we invited sponsorship from local firms to support the event. Dean Kirby’s Creative Flooring was our lead sponsor and others included The IT Partnership , National Counties Building Society, Astral Conservatories, Mantle & Partners Financial Planning & Tax Advisors, Spur Garage Wimbledon, Bond Tours, Banstead Road Garage and Village Ceramics.
Sponsorship opportunities are available again this year although Dean Kirby has already agreed to be our Principal Sponsor. Further information is available on our sponsorship form or by contacting Tony Ensom (Tel: 01737 833505 Email: a.ensom@btconnect.com).


This year, 2009 a much bigger and better event is being developed. An improved stage together with a professional sound system is planned together with a change of band. This year the Jay Craig Orchestra will be performing. Led by Jay Craig, BBC Big Band’s baritone sax man, the band was formed in 2004. Its players come together from some of the best bands in the country including the BBC Big Band and the Syd Lawrence and John Wilson Orchestras.

Tickets will shortly be on sale at £14 each and will be available from selected outlets within the Nonsuch Park area or from the Big Band Box Office. For further information about buying tickets please contact John Kemp at the Box Office (Tel: 0208 786 3441 Email johnkemp1@gmail.com).