The Manchester live streaming service that was set up to boost Manchester's nightlife amidst the coronavirus lockdown has raised £477,000 for charities. Set up by Parklife Festival founder Sacha Lord, the 10-week project aimed at helping the city's music scene alive and providing financial support for the recovery and eventual reopening of Manchester's cultural venues.
The service, which was established in 3 April, has had more than seven million views. Mr Lord said that the service started when workers in the night-time industry expressed their worry about being "left out to dry" during the Covid-19 epidemic. This pushed him to reach out to a variety of people to volunteer their time. Among the people who came forward to support the scheme include poet Lemn Sissay, actor Maxine Peake and ex-Hacienda DJ Graeme Park.
Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said that the streaming service's success "surpassed hopes".
He added: "I cannot begin to say how pleased we are with the success of this fundraising project."