News
Some major creatives are gathering for a gala dinner in aid of Greater Manchester’s homeless community
It's all in aid of the 'A Bed Every Night' scheme.
Danny Jones -
5th March 2025 
A lineup of local artists and creatives are coming together for this year’s Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity gala dinner to help raise money for the region’s homeless community.
Marking the third year of the event, the 2025 gala dinner isn’t just an annual occasion on the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity (GMMC) calendar but is a major fundraising event for their flagship ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, which works wonders in combatting homelessness each year.
Last year alone, more than 50 local businesses and organisations attended the affair, raising nearly £15,000 for the crucial cause at the heart of the GMMC‘s work. Incredible stuff.
2024 saw an insightful Q&A with the Mayor himself, Andy Burnham; Coronation Street‘s Julia Goulding carrying out hosting duties, as well as live DJ sets from some notable names – and they’re determined to double down for this latest edition.
As you can see, as well as Burnham returning to talk big picture stuff and reinforce how vital this work is – alongside the Charity’s CEO and lead, Dr Fran Darlington-Pollock, as ever – the lineup for this year’s gala dinner is looking extremely exciting.
In addition to speeches from veteran broadcaster Nihal Arthanayake, who will discuss the importance of prevention work and the impact of A Bed Every Night (ABEN), local presenter Matty White will be taking over as chief host of the evening at the wonderful New Century Hall.
‘Professional doodler’ Dave Draws is creating a piece of original art live as the evening unfolds
which will be entered into an auction on the night, with exclusive limited edition prints also available, and guests will also be treated to a plethora of music and DJ sets from top local talents.
The lineup includes Manchester’s very own Anna Kathryn Lynch, a headline performance from set from Mr Scruff Bb2b with MC Kwasi, as well as Salford-based ‘The Blind Poet’, who will perform a live reading of an original poem which shares the name of Charity’s pioneering scheme.
As for the audience taking all this in, a total of 350 guests from the North West business community are set to gather for the annual gala dinner and with over £30k raised in the last two years alone, the target is big but, if we know Greater Manchester’s generous spirit like we think we do, it’s achievable.
Naturally, with donations from the likes of SJM Concerts, Engine Number 4; AO Arena, New Century themselves and many more, there will also be a raffle with an enviable range of prizes on offer for those in attendance to win whilst doing their bit for the charity.
The Chair of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, Tim Heatley, said of the upcoming event: “Our gala dinner is about celebrating the charity’s successes and this year, we’re making the event bigger and better by uniting the best of Manchester’s businesses under one roof.
It’s an unmissable evening for networking with industry leaders and a fantastic opportunity to join the growing number of organisations that are collaborating to help end homelessness.”
Gemma Vaughan, general manager for chief sponsors AO Arena, added: “The AO Arena is and always has been a proud supporter of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity. We’ve been part of the fabric of Manchester for three decades now, and it is truly our honour to bring joy to this great City.
“Our longevity wouldn’t be possible without the support of local people, and it’s important to us that we recognise this and give back where we can. We remain dedicated to Manchester, and always will be.”
The Charity’s work is never done and they deliver various key activations throughout the year, such as The Manchester 24-Hour Run Against Homelessness which blew people away with its fundraising power once again back in November 2024.
Read more:
- Council prioritises support for those ‘most in need’ in Manchester’s budget for the year
- Manchester Pride announces major new Mardi Gras event at Depot Mayfield
- Altrincham FC team up with La Liga club for a special community Non-League Day celebration
Taking place at New Century on Thursday, 27 March, tables and sponsorship opportunities
are now available for businesses across Greater Manchester, with welcome drinks for local gin bar Atlas and flowers from Victoria Rose adorning the room.
We’ll level with you, they might not be cheap but they do seat six, packages are available and it’s for a cause that’s importance cannot be overstated.
If you’re interested in the charity dinner or figuring out other ways you can help the local homeless community, you can reach out for more information by emailing [email protected], or just visit Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity’s events page HERE.
No one should ever have to sleep rough, so let’s do our very best to make it a thing of the past.
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Featured Images — GMMC (Supplied)/The Manc Group
