Published on: Monday 09 Jun 2025 at 08:26
To honour the memory of his best friend Kyle, who died of cancer in 2024, Jim Thompson is bravely hosting a 27-hour karaoke marathon in support of St Clare Hospice, where Kyle was cared for towards the end of his life.
Expect zero sleep and a serious test of vocal strength. The event will mirror Kyle’s own 27-hour walk from Harlow to Brighton in 2017 and aims to raise vital funds for the hospice.
We caught up with Jim to learn more about his upcoming sing-a-thon and how he is feeling about the event.
What, or who motivated you to fundraise?
‘Kyle. He motivated me in life as well, as he was such a hard worker and I really looked up to him, even though I was the taller between us. Kyle often did fundraising challenges and when he became a patient at St Clare, and experienced firsthand what they offered to support and care for people, he vowed to raise money for the hospice. I am merely trying to honour that pledge he made.’
Why did you choose to fundraise for St Clare Hospice?
‘I know a few people who have benefitted from the services St Clare offers. The Men’s Shed, one of the many sessions St Clare runs, is attended by a long-time friend who has found a welcoming place he can go since his Parkinson’s diagnosis.’
Can you tell me a bit about Kyle and what made him great friend?
‘This is a tough one. Only because it is still unbelievable that he is no longer with us. He was the most alive man I ever knew. He embraced everything life had to offer and never stopped moving, whether that was flying out to Dubai to train international companies or popping over to a 93-year-old lady’s home to fix her leaking tap. He made himself available to everyone in his life, and he had a huge circle of friends that loved him. He was a great man and it’s a huge loss to us all.’
Tell me something you remember about Kyle that would paint a picture of him for people who didn’t know him.
‘Kyle loved to run. When we went away on holiday in France, right out in the countryside, he was up and out the door to run the 5km to the bakers to get pain au chocolate, croissants and baguettes for the rest of us when we woke up. Even on my stag weekend, as my Best Man, he came and drank with the best of us but still got up at 6am to go for a run before the rest of the group crawled out of their beds. The London Management Centre (LMC), where he worked as a trainer, now have a meeting room named after Kyle, as he was such a valued member of the team.’
What you will be doing in the event to raise money?
‘I have set myself a bit of a challenge that I think reflects the greatness of Kyle. I plan to raise £27,000 by singing for 27 hours to karaoke tracks. Starting at 6pm on Friday 27th June, and finishing at 9pm on the 28th of June (based in the bar area at The Harlow Playhouse) I will sing on over 400 songs, which hopefully will be streamed for everyone to see me.’
What is the significance of the number 27?
‘Why 27? Well, in 2017, on the 2nd of June, Kyle and our mutual friend Andy, took on the fundraising challenge of walking from The Hare Pub in Harlow to Brighton Beachfront. Non-stop without any sleep. I was their support person and drove to the checkpoints, making sure they were hydrated, had food, muscle massages in their legs and generally tried to keep their spirits up. It took them 27 hours to do this, so that is why I am doing my challenge for that length of time.’
How are you feeling about the challenge?
‘I felt okay until it became less than a month away and I still have another £24K to raise. I have been singing at every opportunity; in the car, around the house and even booked a local venue to sing for a few hours solid to see how I got on. The nerves are starting to kick in and the reaction from everyone I speak to about this is one of shock and horror, with them saying, “you’re not going to have a voice left”. If I get through this I don’t care if I lose my voice, as long as I can hit my target.’
Do you have any strategy for singing and staying awake for such a long time?
‘The vocal cords are muscles, so I hope my practising has helped strengthen them. I will be doing warm up exercises for them before I start. As for the sleep… I am going to try to sleep a bit in the day a few days before the challenge and stay up late to see if I can shift my body clock, so that the overnight part of the challenge is not too bad. 27 hours is a stupid length of time for anyone, let alone a man pushing 50. I can’t use caffeine to stay away as that will affect my singing, so it’s all down to who I have around me. Thankfully I have two of my chattiest friends keeping me company overnight.’
How are people able to support you in reaching your target, and during the event?
‘I have tried to share the load as it were with regards to how I hit the £27K. I have been asking businesses to be official sponsors of the challenge for £270. This means they can sponsor each hour of the challenge and will have their company logo front and centre during that time. I have 6 on board so far so still a few more to pull in. I will also be running a raffle during the 27 hours and have been gifted some great prizes (a recording studio session and tickets to Willows Activity Farm to name two of them) for people to win.
‘The main way people can support me is by making a donation to my JustGiving page and by sharing all my posts on my social media platforms. If people search Thompson Promotions, they should be able to find me easily. Finally, if anyone wants to come down to the Playhouse on the 27th and 28th June to help me sing a song or two, then please do! If people want to take the lead on a few tracks, then that would be fabulous. It’s all about having a good time and honouring what Kyle loved to do.’
How to support Jim’s fundraiser
You can support Jim’s incredible effort by donating via his JustGiving page: Donate to Jim’s JustGiving page
Or by stopping by the Harlow Playhouse on the 27th or 28th of June to cheer him on in person as he takes on this epic 27-hour karaoke challenge.