Britain’s Got Talent finalists Jack Pack performed at the Palace Theatre last night to help raise money for Newark Women’s Aid
Hundreds of people packed out the Palace Theatre Newark last night for a good cause.
Top UK swing band and Britain’s Got Talent finalists Jack Pack performed a one-off fundraising show in aid of Newark Women’s Aid refuge as the valuable charity is under threat of closure.
The band performed a medley of well-known hits in front of a near sell-out audience, singing a variety of songs from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Michael Buble, as well as Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Nina Simone's Feeling Good.
The audience clapped, swayed and tapped their feet to the band’s songs throughout, and the foursome – comprising of members Martin McCafferty, Joe Woolford, Andrew Bourn and Sean Wolf – had the audience on their feet for the finale, Frank Sinatra’s My Way and New York, New York.
The event was organised by Susan Macdonald, a friend of the band, who decided that she wanted to do a good deed this year to raise money for a good local cause.
She said: “I wanted to do something to help a local charity, and to do it for Newark Women’s Aid and to hold it right here in Newark.
“The band agreed to help straight away.”
Sean said: "We like Newark, it seems like a friendly place with a great mix of people, and everyone calls you duck a lot."
The band feel passionately about the refuge and victims of domestic violence having a safe place to go.
Martin said: "Some people have no place to turn and may not have family to support them, so it's so important for them to have a safe place to go and a support network to get them through the situation.
"It's such an important cause and we're glad to be able to support it."
Newark Women's Aid refuge, the only one of its kind in the Newark area, was set up by Marlene after she fled from domestic violence in the 1970s.
However, the refuge needs to raise £140,000 a year to stay open and its main funding, from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, is due to end in March 2020, leaving the board with a shortfall of £83,000 a year.
Marlene said at the show: "It's great to see so many familiar faces, people who've supported us through really tough times and who we've been able to support.
"The refuge opened in 1975 and we want to make sure that door stays open, that's what the show is about.
"Thank you to Jack Pack for putting on the show, and to my team, to Susan who has worked so hard to put it together, and everyone for coming."
The band have been in the Middle East this month and are flying back to Dubai on Monday, and said they enjoy the travelling but enjoy playing on home turf.
Andrew added: "This is such a beautiful old theatre and the team behind the scenes have been brilliant."
The final fundraising total has yet to be announced, but it is thought to be thousands of pounds for Newark Women's Aid.
READ MORE:
Survivor who endured 24 years of abuse from husband thanks Newark Women's Aid for saving her life
Newark Women’s Aid Refuge needs £140,000 a year to stay open, but funding is due to end next March
