CELEBRITY GALA NIGHT RAISES £80,000 FOR REGIONAL CHARITY

CELEBRITY GALA NIGHT RAISES £80,000 FOR REGIONAL CHARITY

A STAR-STUDDED red carpet event held in the North East last month (March) has raised more than £80,000 for a leading charity.

A host of famous faces turned out to the gala performance of Sting’s musical, The Last Ship, to raise money for The Graham Wylie Foundation.

Stars on the night included Sting himself, along with Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson and Nick Baines, Alan Shearer and Denise Welch.

Also on the red carpet were Joe McElderry and Hairy Biker Si King, along with  charity patron, Lee Westwood who all attended the special performance of the show at Newcastle’s Northern Stage.

The show was followed by a party at the city’s Wylam Brewery which included a performance by Sting.

Generous guests helped raise more than £80,000 on the night, which will now be used to support the Newcastle-based charity, which was formed to ‘help, inspire and educate children across the region.’

And a substantial donation from money raised is also being given to Newcastle charity FACT – Fighting All Cancers Together.

“I am absolutely delighted that our gala night raised such and amazing sum of money for the foundation and also for FACT,” said Graham Wylie.

“Our guests were incredibly generous, and this money will really help make a difference.”

The Graham Wylie Foundation has built the first Nordoff Robbins music therapy centre outside London at the Matron’s Lodge of the former Fleming Hospital at Jesmond.

This was officially opened by Wallsend-born Sting the day after the gala performance, who was joined by the Kaiser Chiefs, who carried out the ground breaking ceremony at the centre last year.

“Both Sting and Kaiser Chiefs have been incredible supporters of our work, and we are thrilled that they were able to help us officially launch the centre,” said Mr Wylie.

“I would like to take this opportunity to offer my thanks on behalf of everyone involved with the foundation, to Sting - who is without doubt one of the biggest talents this region has ever produced – for everything he has done for us and also Karl Sydow, the producer of The Last Ship, for all his help and support.

“We hope this legacy will live on for many years to come through the music therapy work which is now changing the lives of vulnerable and isolated people of all ages across the region.”

For more information on the Graham Wylie Foundation and its work, visit the website: www.grahamwyliefoundation.org.uk