Musicians Help The Homeless Of Manchester

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Music stars Courteeners, Blossoms and Lisa Stansfield are to play a concert for the homelessness charity. Courteeners’ Liam Fray said rough sleeping in the area was “a crisis all of us need to confront and by joining forces, we can really make a difference”.

Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, set up the charity A Bed Every Night as part of his pledge to end rough sleeping in the city by 2020. The Raise the Roof show at Trafford’s Victoria Warehouse on 24 May will also feature poet John Cooper Clarke and rapper Bugzy Malone. To get tickets, fans are asked to make a £10 donation to the charity fund to pay for one night’s bed and toiletries for someone sleeping rough. Their details will then go into a public ballot and 1,600 winners will each receive a pair of tickets for the event at the O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester on 24 May.

There were about 240 rough sleepers in Greater Manchester last November, according to government figures. Mr Burnham said the A Bed Every Night scheme had been running since November and had helped over 500 people off the streets, “but to keep it going, we urgently need to raise more funds”.

He added: “it is brilliant to see our music industry and supporting business industries stepping forward”.

Burnham has pledged to end the need for rough sleeping in Greater Manchester by 2020. He donates 15% of his monthly salary to the cause.

The charity he set up aims to provide a bed, a hot meal and a shower for every rough sleeper in the region has so far helped more than 500 people, the mayor said.

But Burnham said A Bed Every Night urgently needed to raise funds to keep going. He said: “I am immensely grateful to all the performers taking part and proud of the stand our city is taking on the homelessness crisis. If we all work together, we can end the need for rough sleeping here and send out a message of hope in these dark times.”

Fans who want to be entered into the ballot should text RAISE to 84988 before midday on 3 May for the chance to win a pair of tickets.