Help Jack Barron recover from Vasculitis

Between 1982 and 1998, Jack Barron wrote about music for Sounds, Zig Zag, NME, Melody Maker, the Guardian and Volume. Other than writing for the music press Jack has worked as a TV Director and editor making various television documentaries and children's programmes broadcast on Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV and Discovery.

In mid-October 2020, Jack was taken seriously ill with a rare form of Vasculitis called Wegener's granulomatosis. It's an autoimmune disease which has attacked Jack's healthy blood vessels, causing them to become swollen and narrow. One of the disease's side-effects has meant that Jack has had several strokes caused by the lack of blood supply to parts of his brain.

The good news is Jack is being given specialist care in one of London's top hospitals, where over the next six-months he will receive chemotherapy, which will be used to treat the disease.

To aid his rehabilitation, we'd like to raise money to buy him some things that will help him recover from this disease and its awful side effects, improve his time spent in hospital, and help him when he eventually goes home.

The immediate need is to buy Jack an iPad that he can use to listen to audiobooks and music and give him a way to speak to his friends using Facetime. We aim to get him subscriptions to both Audible, Spotify, as well as other apps that can aid his recovery and improve his time in hospital. Jack also requires a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones he can use whilst on the ward and will also need money to pay for the hospital's premium wi-fi. We'd also like to be able to get him some casual clothing he can wear while in hospital, as well some other creature comforts to help improve his stay. Jack will have different needs as time goes on, and any money left over will be used to get him back on his feet, especially when he finally gets home.

We know that Jack has lots of friends, including his former colleagues in the music press and record industry, and all his friends he made in recovery over the last 25+ years, as well as members of the hi-fi groups he regularly contributes to. This page has been set up in response to all the goodwill we've received on Jack's behalf, so please donate whatever you can to help Jack.  In return, we will provide regular updates on his recovery. 

Thanks in advance for your help and generosity from Jack and his friends and former NME colleagues Helen Mead, Roger Morton and Nick Watt.