A star-studded line-up including actor and DJ Craig Charles will raise money for homelessness charities in the Liverpool v Manchester DJ Battle organised by Mayor Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham. The event will be held on 2 February 2022 at Liverpool’s Camp and Furnace. BBC Radio 6 Music’s Charles will be joined by singing stars Jamie Webster, Rebecca Ferguson and Peter Hooton and England football legends John Barnes and Peter Reid in Mayor Rotheram’s Liverpool City Region team. On Manchester’s side, M People’s Heather Small, former Corrie actress Sally Lindsay, BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nihal Arthanayake and presenter Matt White will play DJ sets.
This is the third time Mayors Rotheram and Burnham have faced each other as they raise money to end homelessness in the Liverpool City Region and Manchester. The first clash took place online during the pandemic, with a follow-up in Manchester last December, which raised over £25,000 and won the Leading Live Event of the Year award at the 2023 This is Manchester Awards. Early-bird tickets for the February event are available through a link on the charities’ and mayors’ social media accounts.
Mayor Rotheram is piloting a pioneering approach to tackling homelessness in Liverpool City Region. Housing First has helped hundreds of local homeless people with their own home, 90% of whom are now sustaining their tenancy. The region’s Assertive Outreach Service has also supported hundreds of people who were rough sleeping or at risk of doing so, providing temporary shelter and mental and physical health assistance.
Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside distribute funds to community groups and lesser-known charities in the Liverpool City Region. Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity’s A Bed Every Night initiative has helped almost 6,000 people since 2020 with 2,910 people supported in the last year alone, and has 658 people in its care at present. The charity is confident that its work can ultimately end the risk of homelessness.
Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity Chair Tim Heatley said that the last DJ battle was “epic”, ramping up the healthy rivalry between the city regions. He added that music has the power to unite communities and bring people together, and he anticipates that this year’s event will be even better than in previous years, with a fantastic night of fun and great music expected in Liverpool
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