Page 47 - Real Rochdale Issue 20 Winter 2023
P. 47
Comedy gig with Jason Manford
raises £14,000 for Petrus
Renowned comedian Jason Manford
showcased his comedic prowess at Middleton
Arena in September in a special gig that raised
thousands for the homelessness charity Petrus.
The special night of comedy, which included
fellow comedians Barbara Nice and Steve
Shanyaski, raised funds totalling almost
£14,000 - which will go towards fighting
homelessness around the borough.
Having visited the charity’s hub earlier this
year and meeting with service users, Jason was Photo: Photography by Karl
inspired to act, agreeing to take part in the
one-off show to raise money for a good cause. The charity also offers temporary
accommodation, support to sustain
Jason, originally from Salford, is known for his tenancies and hosts a range of wellbeing
role as team captain on the Channel 4 panel activity from their hub and community
show 8 Out of 10 Cats, and has presented allotment site.
numerous TV shows for the BBC and ITV
including Comedy Rocks, The One Show and With the event generously sponsored by
Show Me the Funny. S. Wellens & Sons Funeral Directors, 100%
of the money raised from ticket sales has
Petrus has been serving the community of gone to the charity.
Rochdale for more than 50 years, with a vision
to end homelessness and create safe spaces Sonia Denham, Head of Petrus said: “We
where all people can flourish. had the most unbelievable night!
Through their hub, those who are homeless, or “It was amazing to see so many people
at risk of homelessness can access a wide range come out to support what we do at Petrus,
of support services, from HART (homeless meet so many new people and share our
alliance response team) nurses to welfare vision of a world without homelessness
advice and wellbeing support. with them.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to all the
acts, especially Jason for helping to bring
the night together and to S. Wellens & Sons
for their incredible support. We’ve never
done anything like this before, and we’re
ecstatic with what we’ve raised and the
positive impact this will have in our
community.”
To find out more about Petrus or make a
donation, please visit their website:
www.petrus.org.uk
REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2023 46 47 REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2023
