The Stone Roses’ Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield has revealed the auction prizes for his charity fundraising event – and they’re absolutely unbelievable.
Mani and his wife Imelda announced plans for the ball at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel ballroom back in August, which will raise money for The Christie Hospital and The Stockport NHS Charity.
As well as live music, DJs and surprise guests, all hosted by John Robb, there’ll be a huge raffle and online auction with prizes donated by bands, footballers, actors, venues and promoters.
Donations include a signed Foo Fighters guitar, signed David Beckham boots, an overnight stay and breakfast at Gary Neville’s Stock Exchange Hotel, a hand-painted John Squire guitar, signed limited edition print from Coldplay, a seven-night holiday in The Maldives, a guitar signed by Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend, a Stone Roses gold disc, a seven-night stay in a French country estate, a year’s supply of wine from Cork of the North, plus paintings, prints, restaurant dinners, and more.
Mani and his wife Imelda. Credit: Paul Husbands
The online auction will be open to everyone and will run until the week before Christmas, with all proceeds going to the pair’s chosen charities.
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Imelda, who was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in November 2020, says: “Both charities have supported me through my journey.
Credit: Stan Chow
“Cancer affects not just the person who has it but everyone around them, and I hope that by investing in some more research, we can help alleviate some of the devastation caused to families.”
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The event also happens to fall during Mani’s 60th birthday week, so promises to be celebratory as well as fundraising.
Mani said: “When life deals you a pair of twos, you have to get your game face on! These past two years since Imelda’s diagnosis have been brutal in so many ways, but it’s also opened our eyes to so many things as well.
“This disease needs to be eradicated – we feel duty-bound to do our bit to achieve this. So, everybody get on board, dig deep, help out. We will win!”
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Mani and Imelda’s fundraising event will take place on Friday 18 November, and tickets go on sale at 9am today (Monday 10 October) here.
Featured image: Supplied
What's On
Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets to families who ‘struggle to afford’ a festive day out
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets this Christmas to families who may otherwise struggle to afford a festive day out.
Christmas is a time when many of us feel strapped for cash more than ever before, especially for those families on Universal Credit, which is why Chester Zoo is embracing the season of giving by offering thousands of locals the chance to visit the UK’s largest charity zoo for a fraction of the price of normal entry tickets.
The discounted tickets will be available for anyone claiming Universal Credit on visits from today (18 December) right up until New Year’s Eve (31 December), and they’ll need to be booked online in advance.
This brilliant initiative is a new addition to the zoo’s long-running Community Connections Scheme, which aims to reduce financial barriers to visiting for households and community groups.
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets to families on Universal Credit this festive season / Credit: Chester Zoo
Tickets priced at £1 will be available to people receiving Universal Credit, including claimants of Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance, and Housing Benefit.
Chester Zoo said the scheme is designed to help families on lower incomes enjoy the zoo during the festive period and connect with nature.
“We know that spending time outdoors and around wildlife can have a really positive impact on people, and we hope this helps more families enjoy a special day out together over the festive period, especially when this time of year can be difficult for many,” commented Charlotte Smith, who is Chester Zoo’s Director of Conservation Education.
“We hope this brightens the season for many more households.”
Daisy Jackson -
10th October 2022 
