Noel plays Vinny’s charity dinner to help the homeless
OASIS STAR JOINS CITY CAPTAIN’S TESTIMONIAL CAMPAIGN
CITY star Vincent Kompany has revealed a very special guest will perform at his private testimonial dinner to raise money for the homeless – Noel Gallagher.
The Oasis star will play an intimate semi-acoustic set to a lucky group of around 400 guests at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate on February 4 next year.
The night will raise funds for Kompany’s social movement Tackle4MCR which aims to help solve Manchester’s spiralling rough-sleeping crisis.
In an exclusive interview on Saturday, Kompany told the M.E.N. how he was driven to get involved after City moved to their training complex in Eastlands and he began to see the city’s widening wealth gap first hand.
The 32-year-old Belgian, who married local girl Carla Higgs in 2011, said he could not sit by and do nothing while his neighbours sleep on the street.
“We’re very closely linked to each other no matter how much disparity there is in wealth,” he said.
“We live in the same environment, the same area, and if people have the means to help, they should do it.”
Kompany has teamed up with the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham who wants to end rough sleeping in the region by 2020.
All proceeds, minus running costs, from Kompany’s testimonial match next year will go to the Mayor’s Homelessness Fund. In the meantime, Kompany is looking for gold or platinum partners ‘with a big heart for Manchester and the means to make a difference’ to join Tackle4MCR.
The City captain added: “As the Tackle4MCR project continues to move forward and grow we’re delighted to welcome Noel Gallagher to what will be a very important testimonial dinner.
“This event represents another opportunity to raise vital funds for Tackle4MCR.
“As I’ve said before, nobody should have to sleep rough on the streets of Greater Manchester, which is why funds raised by Tackle4MCR will go to the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Homelessness Fund, and more specifically the recently launched ‘A Bed Every Night’ campaign.”
The dinner at the Hilton will also feature well-known hosts Gethin Jones, of Hits Radio, and the BBC’s Hugh Ferris, plus the M.E.N. as media partner.
Founding partners of Tackle4MCR Workspace Design & Build, Equilibrium Asset Management, ANS, S.J.M. Concerts and Palatine will attend, as will delegates from the PFA, City, as well as current and former Blues stars. The dinner will feature a money-can’t-buy auction, silent auction and a raffle.
Businesses and individuals can still sign up to Tackle4MCR, a special fundraising vehicle set up in the form of a limited company for one year by Andy and Vincent.
Those who do will follow a considered approach spanning the remaining length of the football season, incorporating a unique gala dinner, a participative city-wide #FootballFriday campaign, with an important awareness element around rough sleeping aimed at schools, culminating in a rare testimonial gala match at the Etihad Stadium following the close of the 2018/19 season and courtesy of City.
For tickets to the gala dinner visit Tackle4MCR.co.uk