St Catherine's Hospice set to 'Rock the Lockdown'

The whole family is invited to enjoy an ‘ultimate night in’ with this brand new Facebook Live event tonight from 7.30pm until 9.30pm.

Children’s party favourite Taz Entertainments, popular singers Connor Banks and Dani Gallagher, and DJ Des Grant are bringing this virtual party night directly to people’s homes.

They want to entertain families during the lockdown, and encourage donations for the much-loved local charity.

Dani said: “St Catherine’s has a place in many people's hearts all across Preston and the surrounding area; myself included. I have supported the hospice at many fundraising events over the past 10 years, and now more than ever the charity needs our support as a community.

“Taking an event online makes so much sense and is a wonderful way to raise both our spirits and money for this important cause. It is always an honour to perform for St Catherine’s and I can't wait to sing for all of our supporters during the Rock the Lockdown event!”

Emma Jacovelli, head of community engagement at the hospice, said: “Taz, Connor, Dani and Des are all incredibly talented and are fantastic supporters of St Catherine’s.

They were due to perform at our summer fundraising events which have sadly been cancelled, so now we’re really excited that they’ve teamed up to host our very first virtual event.

"It promises to be a great night in for all the family, kicking off with kids’ entertainment, followed by pre-drinks with Connor, karaoke with Queen Bee Dani, and then a disco with DJ Des.

"There’s also a raffle and auction with amazing prizes.”

Emma added: “We’re working really hard at St Catherine’s to continue caring for local people with life-shortening illnesses - at the hospice and in people’s own homes - carrying out appointments remotely where possible for the safety of our patients and staff. We’re helping the NHS and the national effort by keeping around 250 people out of hospital every day, and we are also caring for patients with Coronavirus who require palliative care.

“It is a very difficult time for everyone, and we’re set to face a £1.2m funding gap this year because of the cancellation of our major fundraising events, and the temporary closures of our charity shops and The Mill café.

"We understand that many are facing financial hardship at the moment, and we’re so grateful to our incredible supporters who continue to do what they can to help us work through these challenging times, and raise the vital funds needed to continue providing our specialist care.

“We’re looking forward to bringing our communities together with Rock the Lockdown on May 1. Follow us on social media @stcatherinespre or visit our website at www.stcatherines.co.uk for more information and updates from our charity.”