British rocker Liam Gallagher has teamed up with an Irish homeless charity for a campaign that encourages people to donate clothes to those in need.
The former Oasis frontman turned solo star is playing two huge shows in Dublin this year and was keen to do something about the homeless crisis in the capital.
The ‘Shockwave’ singer teamed up with Dublin charity Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH).
Together they have launched the ‘Part with your Parka’ campaign which urges people to donate a warm jacket to the homeless charity.
Gallagher is famous for his love of the parka jacket and has become synonymous with the style, which many among his legions of fans have also adopted.
Ireland is currently experiencing the worst homeless crisis in its history. Government figures show 10,338 people are relying on emergency accommodation.
However, campaigners and charities say the crisis is actually far deeper as the government figures don’t take into account women in refuge centres, people in direct provision centres or rough sleepers.
One in three homeless people in Ireland is a child and a volunteer group recently revealed that parents turn up at food queues every night with their new-born babies.
Gallagher is keen to highlight the issue and do what he can to help. He has used his tour as a platform to raise awareness of the crisis and ask his fans to help.
Anyone who donates a jacket will be entered into a draw for VIP tickets for his shows at Dublin’s 3Arena as well as a chance to meet the star.
#ICHH are delighted to partner up with @liamgallagher ahead of his 2 gigs in the point at the end of November.
Donate a parka/coat/jacket to us and you will be entered into a draw to win a pair of tickets to his show and a meet and greet with Liam himself
Thanks @liamgallagher pic.twitter.com/0AD5ztevwK
— ICHHDUBLIN (@ICHHDUBLIN) 11 November 2019
Brian McLoughlin is head of communications ICHH.
He said: “We are very thankful to Liam and his team for partnering up with us in ICHH ahead of his shows at the end of this month.
“They contacted us, they said they had done research on homeless charities anywhere they’re doing the UK and Ireland tour and asked us to partner up.
“When we got the email, I kind of second-guessed it at first, I thought it was a wind-up.
“Liam and his team are fully aware of the homelessness crisis in Ireland and want to do their bit by encouraging fans to donate a parka/jacket/coat to us in ICHH in return for entering a draw to win a meet and greet and two tickets to Liam’s shows at the end of the month.
“We’ve already had a Liam Gallagher fan flying in from Japan who contacted us and said when he landed he would be bringing coats, so we’ve had good traction from it already.
“Winter has hit Ireland already with threats of winter showers threatening the capital this week so we are inundated with orders for warm clothes from the people we are assisting 7 days a week on the streets of Dublin.”
For more information or to make a donation visit the Inner City Helping Homeless website or Liam Gallagher’s website.
Written by Michael Kehoe @michaelcalling