George Bowie will be spinning the decks this Friday from the balcony of his home to raise money for CHAS
A popular DJ is set to play a fundraising concert from the comfort of his own home.
Scottish GBX legend George Bowie has pledged to play a live concert for the benefit of Children’s Hospice Across Scotland (CHAS) from the balcony of his Glasgow home via Facebook Live this coming Friday afternoon (24 April).
It’s the latest in a series of afternoon sets from the legendary Clyde 1 radio presenter and father of three, aged 51, who has beamed his club bangers into well over half a million homes since Covid-19 prompted widespread self-isolation last month.
Bowie, who can usually be found packing out Ibiza clubs during the summer months, is no stranger to CHAS, having played a surprise birthday set at Robin House last spring for Ross McNeil (pictured above), a nine-year-old sibling to a child receiving treatment at the hospice.
Last weekend, Marc Mercer and Jacob Callaghan played a back to back set online for the same purpose, smashing their £500 target. Not to be outdone, popular Aberdeen’s DJ HomeAlone, who has supported everyone from Drake to The Weeknd, will be streaming a set on Twitch for the benefit of CHAS on Saturday 9 May.
Bowie said: "As a parent of three, I'm very aware of the amazing work CHAS does across Scotland and see this as an important time to back them. It is a tough time for everyone right now, and with so many huge fundraising events being cancelled, charities are really suffering. That's why I have decided to put on a virtual gig to support CHAS.
“If I can get on the decks for an hour, raise some much needed funds and bring some Friday afternoon cheer to everyone then that's a great thing. Come along, enjoy the tunes, and support this amazing charity if you can. Any donation you can make would be greatly appreciated!”
Rachel Gedge, community fundraiser, said: “We are so pleased that George has stepped up, along with various other DJs around Scotland, to fundraise for us at this particularly difficult time. It’s a huge morale boost for us and for the families we support. Fundraisers like this one mean we can keep supporting families who need us now more than ever. We can’t wait to tune in, and can’t thank him enough for throwing an afternoon rave-up.”
Like many other charities in the current pandemic, CHAS has had to dramatically transform the way in which it provides its increasingly important services. They have set up Scotland’s first ever virtual hospice to support children and families who are having to completely self-isolate.
The virtual hospice is now three weeks in, offering families extensive support, whether it relates to clinical guidance, financial advice or bereavement support, by video and phone. CHAS family support teams are also offering an expanding range of interactive activities, art clubs, storytelling and conference calls to children and parents, with more in the pipeline.
Although new measures are in place to safeguard families, those needing urgent physical and end of life care are still welcome at the hospice, where staff work tirelessly to provide children with the palliative assistance they need. CHAS works across Scotland to provide its hospice services – both physically and now also virtually – for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions. CHAS offers palliative, respite and end-of-life care from Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch.
You can tune in to the concert from 3pm on Friday (24 April) on the GBX Facebook page and make donations on JustGiving.
