A father-of-four who helped bring people together through music has died just days after he headlined a festival he helped organise alongside family and friends.
Chris Dark died on Monday, July 4.
The 42-year-old was left disabled after falling through the roof of his Weston home while fixing a leak in November 2024.
Last year he set up the All Included Music Project (AIMP) to ‘get a group of people together to play, talk and raise awareness of disability and mental health’ having described the latter as a daily ‘battle’.
It’s proved a success with a number of musical acts having formed as a result of regular sessions to bring people together through music.
It’s even put on whole festivals including providing all of the music for the Picnic in the Park event that saw hundreds of people descend on Moulton Park on Saturday, July 2.
It concluded with Chris joining wife Chloe, eldest daughter Phoebe and friends from AIMP on stage.
Dan Herauville was one of the first to respond to Chris’ request for musicians to come forward and joined him on the committee.
After never playing publicly before, the day before Chris died Dan completed his first ever paid gig.
“That would never have happened without Chris,” he said. “I think every time I go on stage there will be a bit of him with me.
“Whoever came in he supported and gave them belief.
“That’s what AIMP is about, breaking down the barriers that stops people from performing music.”
A statement from AIMP said: “What began as a simple, open invitation in the spring of 2025, Chris reaching out to see if anyone wanted to gather and play a little music, quickly grew into something far greater than any of us could have anticipated.
“Chris believed in the transformative power of music not just as an art form, but as a bridge between people. Under his gentle guidance, AIMP became a sanctuary and a stepping stone. It gave people the courage to step up to a microphone, the joy of learning an instrument, and the space to be completely themselves. In doing so, he helped build a vibrant, welcoming community that restored confidence, forged lifelong friendships, and truly reshaped lives.
”Chris was the heartbeat of this project. His kindness, encouragement, and unwavering belief in everyone who walked through our doors will remain the foundation of everything we do.
”While we mourn this immense loss, we also celebrate the extraordinary legacy he leaves behind. We will forever be grateful for his warmth, his vision, and the gift of music and community he gave to us all.
“Our thoughts, love, and deepest sympathies go out to Chris’s family, friends, and everyone in the AIMP community.”
Chris was also a member of Community Speed Watch, South Lincs Swifts FC and Weston Parish Council.
Chris’ funeral is set to take place at Surfleet Crematorium at 1pm on Thursday ,August 13.
AIMP is set to continue with the latest edition of its twice monthly Open Mic Nights is due to take place tonight (Wednesday, August 5) at the Royal Mail Cart in Spalding.
