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Winter 2023Comedy 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 inspired to act, agreeing to take part in the one-off show to raise money for a good cause.

Jason, originally from Salford, is known for his role as team captain on the Channel 4 panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats, and has presented numerous TV shows for the BBC and ITV including Comedy Rocks, The One Show and Show Me the Funny.

Petrus has been serving the community of Rochdale for more than 50 years, with a vision to end homelessness and create safe spaces where all people can flourish.

Through their hub, those who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness can access a wide range of support services, from HART (homeless alliance response team) nurses to welfare advice and wellbeing support.

The charity also offers temporary accommodation, support to sustain tenancies and hosts a range of wellbeing activity from their hub and community allotment site.

With the event generously sponsored by S. Wellens & Sons Funeral Directors, 100% of the money raised from ticket sales has gone to the charity.

Sonia Denham, Head of Petrus said: “We had the most unbelievable night!

“It was amazing to see so many people come out to support what we do at Petrus, meet so many new people and share our vision of a world without homelessness 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