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This Manchester variety show has top guests and prizes – and is raising money for a great cause

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With a huge auction and prize draw with money-can’t-buy prizes from Manchester legends of music, food and entertainment, Eat Well MCR will take over United We Stream, the Manchester-based hit streaming platform, for a ‘variety show for the lockdown generation’ this weekend.

On Saturday 6th June, the five hour-show will feature performances, appearances and prizes from Elbow frontman and 6Music presenter Guy Garvey, Doves, Hacienda Live, comics Stephen Bailey and Justin Moorhouse, chefs James Martin, Adam Reid and Michelin starred Mark Birchall, cartoonist Tony Husband and many more.

There will also be an auction, with prizes including a boozy summer solstice Zoom evening with Bez, Stone Roses artwork, a cookery experience with Tast, and a private recital by punk poet John Cooper Clarke. Bids are open from today.

Liam Gallagher has even donated his ’96 MTV award for Wonderwall to the auction, which will go live for bidding this evening (Thursday) at 6pm.

There will also be segments such as the Chicken Olympics, Ready Steady Cook, viewer competitions, and an all-star Manchester Vogue Ball hosted by the House of Ghetto. Tickets to a series of prize draws cost £10.

Created in April by Sacha Lord, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and the GMCA Culture team in swift response to the UK shut down due to coronavirus, the United We Stream GM platform is free to watch, but with donations welcome. 

The project has already raised over £390,000 for the city region’s night time economy, cultural organisations and chosen local charities.

United We Stream GM is live every weekend with a donations page, where viewers can watch for free but can buy a ‘virtual ticket’ for whatever price they choose to enjoy the channel.

On Saturday, it will become United We Feed for the night, hosted by Hits Radio presenter Hattie Pearson and Manchester legend Clint Boon.

Money raised will help Eat Well MCR to continue their work supplying chef-cooked meals to those living with food poverty, women seeking refuge, homeless people, and NHS workers. 

“In Greater Manchester, we’ve always looked after each other and Eat Well MCR is such a brilliant and shining example of that,” said Andy Burnham.

“We’ve got some phenomenal chefs, restaurants, breweries and business owners. They’re all under phenomenal pressure at the moment, and yet they’re choosing to help the NHS key workers, and vulnerable people across the city-region.

“The support Eat Well MCR is giving to these people is proof of the spirit of this wonderful place and I am looking forward to their big show on United We Stream GM, on June 6th.” 

Initially formed in response to the UK food crisis worsened by the rapid spread of Covid-19, Eat Well MCR  is a collective which forges links between the hospitality industry and the wider community, in order to fight food inequality, tackle food waste, and promote a fairer and more sustainable food landscape in Manchester and beyond.

“We’re beyond delighted that United We Stream GM have given us this incredible platform to raise vital funds so that we can secure the future of Eat Well MCR,” said Mary-Ellen McTague, founder of Eat Well MCR and The Creameries in Chorlton.

“We started off as a small group of chefs but with this show we have the opportunity to bring together some of Greater Manchester’s best loved creative talents. It’s going to be brilliant fun and there’s lots of opportunity for people at home to get involved. We can’t wait!”

Elbow’s Guy Garvey says he couldn’t say no to getting involved with Eat Well MCR’s United We Feed event.

Guy Garvey elbow Castlefield
credit: Adam Pester

“It’s going to be an incredible night – something a bit different and loads of fun,” he says.

“Knowing that the funds raised will help them plan for the future too, they’ve made such a difference to peoples lives in eight weeks, I look forward to seeing what they can do in eight years.” 

United We Feed will take place on United We Stream on Saturday 6th June from 7pm – midnight. The auction and prize draw will go live on Thursday 3rd June. 

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