North Wales politician opens ‘Ali Fest’ in memory of Flintshire musician Alastair Thomas

North Wales Member of the Senedd, Mark Isherwood, had the honour of opening the first-ever ‘Ali Fest’ today at Rhydymwyn Football Club.

The festival, dedicated to the memory of Flintshire musician Alastair Thomas, aims to celebrate his life and raise awareness about the symptoms and complications of Type 1 diabetes.

Alastair Thomas, known as Ali, was a talented singer and musician from Flint.

Tragically, he passed away due to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a severe condition linked to Type 1 diabetes and occasionally Type 2 diabetes.

In memory of his contributions to the local music scen, ‘Ali Fest’ was organised to both honour him and educate the public on DKA.

Speaking at the event, Mr Isherwood highlighted Ali’s impact on the local community.

“Ali was a fantastically talented musician who helped other local musicians at the start of their journey. This October, it will be six years since Ali’s sad passing from Diabetic Ketoacidosis. A singer, songwriter, and a loved father, son, and brother, he lived every day to the fullest and is greatly missed by his family. His sad passing should not have happened,” he said.

[Ali passed away in 2018]

The North Wales MS also shared insights into the ongoing campaign led by Ali’s mother, Dee Pinnington.

“As I stated in the Senedd, awareness of DKA has been Dee’s main priority. Now, in her sixth year of campaigning, Dee Pinnington, who also has Type 1 diabetes, continues her essential efforts.”

He emphasised the importance of recognizing DKA symptoms and promptly seeking medical help. “Understanding the symptoms and alerting medical services properly, so they can categorise their help and prioritise an ambulance, can be the difference between life and death,” he added.

Dee Pinnington’s bilingual leaflet, “When Someone you Love has Type 1 Diabetes: Knowing what to do in an Emergency,” supported by the Local Health Board and Diabetes UK Cymru, has been distributed digitally to General Practitioners across Wales.

Campaigners also advocate for this leaflet or its contents to be accessible on the NHS Wales app.mThe festival featured performances from local acts, including RKID, MonkeyWrench – The Best of Foos, Muddy Elephant, Scott Royle Music, DJ Chris Thomas, Adele Crimes, Wax Lyrical, Flint Guitar School, The New Kid Sphelm, SMITHSON, and BREACH. All funds raised from the event will be donated to Diabetes UK (DUK) Cymru.

For more information on the signs and symptoms of DKA, visit Diabetes UK’s DKA page.