The Sunflower Jam is the brainchild of Jacky Paice, wife of Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice. Founded in 2006, Jacky was inspired to help those fighting cancer and other diseases after meeting a 16 year old boy named Kevin.

Kevin had Leukaemia and a friend of Jacky’s who headed the complimentary therapy care team at the University College London called her and asked for a favour. Kevin needed a boost to pull him through and, as a Deep Purple fan, he asked Jacky if she would get Ian to sign something and send it to him. Not only did she organise that, but Jacky also called her brother-in-law Jon Lord and asked them both to deliver the signed merchandise.

“When we opened the door to his room, there were Deep Purple posters on the walls and amongst the medical equipment Kevin was laid next to his guitar in bed. The first impression we all got from this boy was how pale he was and I’ll never forget how his cheeks flushed and his eyes lit up with joy when he saw Jon and Ian,” says Jacky.

Unfortunately, Kevin passed away two weeks after Jacky, Ian and Jon visited him in hospital but Jacky’s memory of that boy and the positive effect that their visit had on him never left her. After seeing all the good work that the complimentary care team were doing on the oncology ward and how they were working alongside NHS doctors to provide a complete treatment programme for patients, Jacky knew she wanted to raise money to help support the amazing work they were already doing.
She has never been able to delete Kevin’s number from her phone.

Since then, Jacky has organised high-profile, classic rock events which, after outgrowing their original venue, have now moved to the Royal Albert Hall and other iconic London venues. The Sunflower Jam also organises other fundraising activities throughout the country and actively remains committed to engaging and educating people in the discussion surrounding complimentary and integrated treatments.