Dad's drumming has touched many lives and now the community is gathering for him.

Andre Harris, 62, who founded the Power of Drums and has led community drumming for more than a decade, has paused much of his work after a September diagnosis of stage 4 head and neck cancer; his son Tom has organised fundraising, with over £4,000 raised online and a tribute event planned for 14 March.

Andre Harris, 62, is a community drummer from Bulwell who has taught African drumming across Nottinghamshire for more than a decade. He began drumming in his 40s and set up the Power of Drums organisation around ten years ago. His sessions have reached children in social care, dementia patients, rough sleepers and people with disabilities. Since September he has been receiving treatment after a stage 4 head and neck cancer diagnosis, and he has had to slow down his public drumming. Known details: - Andre picked up the djembe in his 40s and has run sessions from the back of his transit van across Nottinghamshire and beyond. - He set up Power of Drums about ten years ago and has worked with groups including children in social care, people with dementia, blind and visually impaired people, stroke survivors and rough sleepers. - In September he was diagnosed with stage 4 head and neck cancer that has been reported to have spread to his lungs, arm bones, liver and spine. - He has received chemotherapy and radiotherapy and is now undergoing immunotherapy, which has reduced his strength and made drumming harder. - His son Tom has organised fundraising for further treatment; a GoFundMe has raised more than £4,000 and a tribute event is scheduled for Saturday 14 March at Bestwood Lodge in Arnold. Summary: Family, friends and former participants have organised fundraising and a tribute event on 14 March to honour Andre's work and reconnect him with people he has drummed with. He continues to receive cancer treatment and has reduced his public drumming while undergoing therapy. Further outcomes of his recovery and treatment are undetermined at this time.