heatregoers that attended Christmas shows at The Lowry have helped the Salford arts centre raise more than £56,000 for its Christmas Appeal.

The annual fundraising effort will, this year, support young people aged 16-24 who are experiencing homelessness in the city.

Collections drew to a close last night with the final performance of ELF The Musical.

The money will be used to fund a year-long programme, based out in the community and led by professional artists and highly trained support staff.

The young people will take part in employability and skills development that will give them new qualifications and training as well as one-to-one support which will help them gain new skills, boost their confidence and support them to move towards a more positive future.

Young people experiencing homelessness are some of the most vulnerable people in Salford. New research shows that 26% of young people aged 16-24 have had to sleep in an “unsafe place” due to homelessness. This can be in a car, a car park, a tent in a public space, on the streets or ‘sofa-surfing’, with just under 300,000 doing so across the UK on any one night.

Julia Fawcett OBE, chief executive of The Lowry, said: “We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed at the generosity of our audiences. The Christmas Appeal is a really great example of the impact The Lowry and its audiences can have on the lives of young people in Salford and I’d like to thank each and every person that has donated for their very generous support.”

The shows that took part in the appeal included: ELF The MusicalAround The World In 80 DaysThe Gruffalo and The Extraordinary Tale of Holly Christmas.

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